Bring Me a Nightmare
by AmandaBloodhart
Summary: Charli finds herself in over her head the moment Freddy Krueger drops in on her dreams. If that wasn't enough, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers are just as dangerous as Freddy. A three-way clash of blades and blood are imminent while strings are pulled behind the scenes, forcing Charli to rely on the most unlikely of people to help her. AlternateUniverse/CrossOver
1. Welcome to Springwood

**Disclaimer:** _I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective creators._

**CHAPTER I – **_**Welcome to Springwood**_

* * *

"Charlotte Baines?"

A senior teenager raised her head as she was called. Charlotte, or Charli, had moved to Springwood, Ohio at the beginning of summer vacation, shortly after her grandmother, Faye, had recently passed away. Her grandpa, Noel, had passed on years earlier, so Charli assumed that Faye had been lonely in her final years, since Charli's family could only make the time during the holidays to visit her. Right now, the teen had been waiting in Springwood High's main office to get registered into the school.

Standing up, she approached the one who called her, a middle-aged man whose presence was slightly foreboding. "I'm Charlotte?"

He held out his hand, shaking hers as he introduced himself. "I'm Keith Langston, vice-principal. Did you fill out the paperwork already?" She nodded. "Well, if you like, I can show you around."

"Sure."

"When did you move to Springwood?" he asked, leading her out of the office as she kept pace with him.

"Just a couple months ago."

"Must be very strange living in a new town."

The girl barely shrugged, glancing into some classrooms. "Not really. I've been in town before when I visited my grandmother."

Langston sobered his friendliness a bit. "Yes, I've heard about Mrs. Baines. She was a wonderful woman. This way..." he gestured down the hall.

The vice-principal gave her the grand tour, and once that was over with, she left to go home. Luckily the house was at walking distance, though it would take fifteen minutes. Despite having told Langston otherwise, it _was_ strange to her. It wasn't the fact she was living in a different town, she was somewhat familiar with this place, it was the fact that her grandmother Faye wasn't here anymore. Upon hearing the news, Charli cried at random intervals for two weeks. It shouldn't have been a surprise, but she still didn't see it coming. It felt even more weird that she and her family would be staying there from now on.

The trees were thick and green, the houses well kept, the streets clean. It was a picturesque suburban neighbourhood. Right now, kids were playing hockey in the street or dancing through sprinklers. For Charli though, she didn't have any friends here. Even back home she barely had any friends. Most people thought she was weird because she had a gift that she inherited from grandma Faye. Occasionally she just knew things without being told or shown, which weirded out most people, and sometimes she would leave a room or distance herself from certain people because she felt something wrong. Because of such senses, she felt confused living on Elm Street.

Charli walked up to her house, opening the white picket gate which snapped closed behind her. Her mother, Claire, was sitting before the flower bed in the front yard next to the low steps, putting in new flowers. Arching a brow, Charli walked up behind her.

"Don't you think it's a little late in the year to be doing that? It'll be fall soon, mom."

"Hey, Charlotte," the woman greeted, wiping her head with her forearm. "I just didn't want to leave this soil empty until winter. It already looked barren. How was registration?"

"Fine. Dad working?"

"Yeah, he's in the office right now. Oh, um, if you could, would you please make something to eat for your sister?"

"Where is she?"

"She's in her room watching TV."

Charli nodded, going up the steps and through the red door, closing it behind her. She went up two flights of stairs, as the second set led to the finished attic, her bedroom, the ceiling arched but high with posters plastered all over them. Her double bed lied sideways at the only window in the room, covered in a dozen colourful pillows and thick blankets. She fell onto it, just lying there face down. It wasn't like there wasn't enough bedrooms in the house, it was just she wanted to be left alone a good portion of her time. Plus her dad needed an office, and the basement wasn't ideal. It also gave her good memories of when she would come up here with Faye to listen to her stories and play pretend.

She got up with a sigh, heading back down to the second floor to look for her sister in her room. Sure enough, five-year old Gabrielle, or Gabby, sat in a beanbag chair before a television watching her favourite cartoons.

"Gabby," Charli called out loudly enough to catch her attention.

The little girl looked over. "Hi, Charli."

"What do you want to eat for lunch?"

"McDonald's!" she cheered excitedly.

Charli rolled her eyes. "Okay, what about what's actually _inside_ the house?"

"If you get McDonald's and bring it back, it'll be inside the house."

Charli smirked, amused. "Smarty pants. I just got back by walking, I'm not going to walk all the way to town just to get you _McDonald's._" Gabby pouted. "No. Stop. Stop it. I'm not falling for it." The younger sibling continued to persist, trying her utmost best to appear irresistible and adorable. "It's still no."

"Aw, why not?"

"Because mom told me to _make_ you lunch, not buy it." See? She could be a smartass too.

"Poo!" she declared in defeat.

"Maybe tomorrow," Charli began, seeing the girl instantly perk up. "_If_ you're good," she added firmly. This seemed to satisfy Gabby as she deflated in her seat and smiled. "Now, what do you want?"

* * *

After an uneventful afternoon, Claire finally came in to clean up and start dinner and soon everyone sat at the square table in the kitchen. Mason Baines took his time chewing his current mouthful, then swallowing before asking, "How was registration?"

"Uneventful," Charli replied.

"Only a week til you start school, right?" She nodded. "You going to look for a job before then?"

"My resume is written up. So I'll start in the morning, and if I can't get one before school starts, I'll look on the weekend." He nodded, satisfied. "Tomorrow I'll be coming back to take Gabby out for lunch, so I'll need the car."

"That's fine. After lunch, could you drop off a few things for me at the post office?"

"Okay."

It was always like this, the robotic responses between father and elder daughter. To be perfectly honest, she wasn't interested in applying for any part time job. Part of her feared she'd be stuck there forever the moment she was hired. She only agreed to it because one, she needed money of her own, and two, it kept her parents docile. Her mom always told her she didn't spend enough time outside and that she needed to meet people, make friends, that sort of thing. What her mother didn't understand was how difficult that was for Charli. Not only did she drive people away with her weirdness, she was an introvert by nature. Everyone else in her family was outgoing, so she ended up being a bit of a black sheep. Well, Gabby was still young, so there was still a chance of her little sister being like her. Surprisingly, Gabby wasn't the typical annoying younger sibling. She seemed attentive to Charli's boundaries, so Charli was never less than attentive right back.

Charli washed the dishes afterwards before heading upstairs to run a bath, throwing her clothes in on the floor before looking in the mirror. Not only did she act strange, but to some, she looked strange. Her skin was so light, it would have been mistaken as white in contrast to her dark chocolate brown hair, having been styled to a layered and shaggy-like cut, the slight waves barely reaching her chin in the front with side swept bangs, and slightly longer in the back, covering her neck. Her eyes were just as dark as her hair, an oval face, a perfectly sized and straight nose, and slightly small mouth. The rest of herself, with her pale skin, her thin physique could have her mistaken as a skeleton, though no bones showed through thankfully, having just enough meat on her to look human still. But that didn't stop people at her old school from making fun of her and calling her _Charli Bones_.

Pinning up her hair, she was about to step into the tub when there was a knock on the door. "Charlotte?" It was her mother. "Gabby needs to go to bed soon, but I need to have her bathed first. Do you think you could hold off for about half an hour?"

Charli quickly grabbed and wrapped a towel around herself. "Just let her in mom. I'll let her bathe with me."

Opening the door, Gabby was pushed inside, as Charli crouched down to undress her. The two sisters looked very much alike with some minors differences. Gabby's dark hair was longer with straight bangs, and her body had more pink to her skin as well as her baby fat typical of a five-year old. While Charli's eyes were dark, Gabby's were light blue. Charli let her sister in the tub first then climbed in herself, laying back.

"Charli, is school hard?" she asked innocently.

"For some people it is. You're only going to kindergarten though, so it'll be like daycare. It's almost play time, all the time, and snack time...and naps."

"Is it hard for you?"

"Not really."

"Mommy and daddy said it's your last year. Does that mean you'll be done school forever?"

"Not necessarily. Mom and dad are pushing me to go to an advanced school called college. Which could take me a few years to stay at."

The little girl was silent for a moment. Sadly, she asked, "If you're done school, does that mean you'll leave?"

Charli's resting eyes blinked open in surprise at her little sister. "Where did that come from?" Seeing the pitiful look on her face, she sighed. "There's a local university in Springwood, Gabby. At best, you get to keep me around for five more years, maybe more depending on what I'm studying."

The girl perked up. "Really?!"

"Yes, really! Now lean your head back so I can wash your ridiculously thick hair."

* * *

The week passed and buses were pulling up to Springwood High as Charli walked onto the lot, moving along with the crowd into the school to find her locker. Some people greeted each other in familiarity, some stared at her in genuine curiosity at a new face. A town was a town, even Springwood. Having already picked up her schedule and locker number with combination, she turned the dial until it opened, grabbing some things from her canvas messenger bag to personalize it a bit, particularly sticking a magnet photo of her grandmother and another of her baby sister.

She reached her first class, being Science, sitting at the back of the class closest to the window, as she made a habit of looking outside whenever possible. Students piled in, looking at her then taking their seats on the stools at the counters. Obviously those who were friends tried sticking together, and as a pattern recognized and followed, those that appeared to avoid being noticed sat closer to the back. This led one girl, who was into a goth-punk trend, to sit next to her.

Charli slipped her rectangular frames back up her nose as the teacher walked in with a cart holding stacks of the same text book. "Alright everyone, I'm Mr. Saratsiotis. Or, Mr. S, if that's easier. Welcome to your first day back. I'm sure most of you know each other already, but just humour me when I call your name. Stand, introduce yourself, tell everyone a little bit about yourself, then kindly take a seat and wait for others to finish." He looked at the attendance sheet before calling out, "Charlotte Baines?"

Being called first made the brunette jolt in her seat in surprise. Though it shouldn't have been since logic would dictate that the list was in alphabetical order. Almost shakily, she stood as everyone turned to stare at her expectantly. "Hi," she murmured uncomfortably. "I'm...I'm Charli. I'm kind of new, since I just moved here a couple of months ago. My grandmother used to live here, and I would visit, so I sort of know Springwood a little bit." She thought for a moment, then just sat down.

The students turned their heads towards the front as Saratsiotis pursed his mouth a little in thought. "Well, Charli, welcome. I hope you enjoy it here, and everyone try to make her feel welcome. Thank you." He called the next name on the list.

At lunch, Charli got her lunch from the servers and went to sit alone at an empty table, taking out the homework she already received as she ate. Five minutes went by without a hitch until she felt eyes on her, and she looked up to lock gazes with the girl from science class. She was sitting right across the table from her, and somehow she had been so focused in her school work that she hadn't noticed. This allowed her a better look at her fellow classmate, gauging her. Her hair was long, with thin braids here and there, straight, and obviously dyed the darkest black one could obtain when it came to dye, her eyes a light blue, light skin, and possibly taller, bustier, and more shapely, in a nice way, than Charli. She was wearing dark makeup, and black nail polish. As they stared at each other, Charli felt the girl was also sizing her up.

Suddenly she spoke with a slight rasp to her voice, sounding very much like a woman just waking up after having sex. "Charli, right?" She nodded. "I have a few questions for you." Charli just sat there, staring blankly at the girl. "What's your clique?"

"I don't have one."

"Thoughts on sports."

"I don't care for sports. I prefer recreational swimming."

"Family issues."

"We all have them in one form or another."

"People."

"I avoid most."

"Want to sit with us outcasts?" she asked in finality, nodding her head in the direction of her table. The brunette considered, then nodded, and her interrogator stood from the bench as Charli gathered her things to follow. "I'm Eva Daly, by the way."

"Charli Baines."

"Cool. And these losers," she began as she approached a table that had two others, boys, situated there, "are Nicholas, or Nick, and Logan."

The one she pointed to as Nicholas was a tall lad with thick rectangular framed glasses with short brown hair and light blue eyes. He looked up from his book at Charli and smiled shyly. Logan was also tall and had an athletic build, making him slightly bulkier than the scrawny Nick. His hair was darker and longer, framing his face and slightly narrowed brown eyes, making him appear as though he wore a scowl on his visage. With his modern leather black jacket, and his rigid posture as he leaned over the table, instantly had Charli mentally label this guy as a typical lone wolf type guy, or modern greaser, only with a different style of jacket and excluding that classic pompadour.

"Guys, this is Charli. She's new and shit," Eva introduced.

As Charli sat down with them, Nick asked, "Where are you from originally?"

"Columbus," she stated.

"Okay! Enough questions, I'm sure Miss New Girl doesn't want to be bored early on with typical _where are you from_ questions, and all the oohs and aahs she'll get just by being new in town." Eva sat on the tabletop. "First thing is always first, and that's to get her situated with the ins and outs of boring old Springwood. You'll want to avoid them, them, them, and _especially_ them," she ranted onward, pointing to groups. "They're assholes."

"And you're a bitch, so what's the difference between you and them," Logan spoke up derisively.

"They prey on people like us and manipulate those they deem pathetic, while _I'm_ only a bitch for the sake of being a bitch so that they know I can't be pushed around and they can't push anybody else around. Also, I only manipulate assholes that deserve it. Anyway," she paused, taking out a cigarette, putting it in her mouth but not lighting it, "they're a bunch of mama boys and daddy's princesses, so they'll act spoiled thinking they're entitled to everything."

"Not all of them are like that," Nick pointed out almost determinedly.

"Okay, okay, there are exceptions," she amended dismissively. "Anyway, us three, and some others are basically a Motley Crew so to speak. As soon as I saw you, somehow you struck me as the kind of person who'd fit in with us. So let me be the first to say, welcome to the band."

"I hope you don't mean that literally in musical terms. I'm terrible with instruments," Charli commented, earning a slight smirk from Eva.

"I wouldn't worry. The only person here who's band camp material is Nick."

"Hey!"

"Anyway, if you've got some contact information, we can hang out and shit. I'll give you mine after I go have a smoke." Practically leaping off the table, she left through a door in the back of the cafeteria to the designated smoking area.

"Very assertive, isn't she?" Charli commented.

Nicholas smiled. "She was like that was us too. It's a bit contradicting that we're a group of loners, but somehow it works." She returned the smile, seeing the irony. "There's always at least one group like that in every school, I've noticed." He cleared his throat. "So, where did you move to?"

She shrugged slightly. "I moved into my paternal grandparents house after my grandmother died. It's located on Elm Street."

"No way! If it's the same house I'm thinking of, I actually live right around the corner on Almont Ave. Do you walk?" She nodded. "If you want, we could walk together after school."

Charli smiled a little, slightly surprised. "Sure." And like that, he seemed to regain some of his breath as though he'd been holding it in anticipation.

* * *

The final bell rang, students almost instantly flowing into the halls on cue as though a race pistol had gone off. Luckily it seemed as though Charli shared her final class of the day with Nick, being English Studies, so meeting up wasn't difficult. Eva and Logan also lived close by to the school but on further streets, so they tagged along as well.

"Elm Street, huh?" Eva murmured. "Hey Charli, did you see that creepy house on that street? The one that was condemned?"

The brunette thought about it, remembering a decrepit looking one-storey American home that looked like a horror version of a house that you'd see in the fifties era. "On the end of the street? Yeah." She made a point to avoid the house at all costs because it always gave her a strong sense of foreboding like something really bad happened there once. "What about it?"

"Well, I don't know if your grandmother told you about the rumours surrounding the house. Apparently, until about fifty years ago, the guy who lived there was a serial killer."

"Not this shit again," Logan sighed out, clearly annoyed. "It's a rumour, Evangeline. Don't fill her head with your bullshit."

"Shut up, dick. Besides, she's gonna hear about it eventually at any rate. _Anyway_," she emphasized impatiently, continuing, "so get this, this guy killed a bunch of kids, but he was caught after he killed his wife. The case and the judge became famous, and the lawyers got fat, but apparently he was let go."

Charli burrowed her brow, pausing in her stride. "Technicality?"

The other three stopped. Surprised, Eva confirmed her suspicion, "Yeah... How did you know that?"

Without realizing she said it out loud before it was too late, she quickly amended the awkward silence. "I didn't. I just guessed." It was neither a lie nor was it the truth. "Seems odd that they would let the guy go. Everybody was convinced it was him, right?"

Content with her answer and none the wiser, Eva rattled on, "Yeah, all the evidence pointed to him, considering he had what some would call a trophy room in the basement of his house. Guy had newspaper clippings of the kids he kidnapped and killed. But he didn't kill them there. Apparently he brought them to his workplace and burned their bodies after he was done torturing them to death."

The thought of it brought a shudder through Charli as Logan cursed in annoyance, "Dammit Eva. Nobody wants to hear about that."

"Oh c'mon, it's fascinating learning about mythical serial killers. So I can't help it if I don't have a little tact when talking about it."

Nick leaned over to explain quietly, "She's into the supernatural and such, so she's trying to become a paranormal investigator."

She nodded in understanding. "So," she began hesitantly, catching Eva's attention, "what happened to him?"

"Well, after he was let go, he disappeared. That's not the weird part though. Nearly twenty years later, teenagers that lived on Elm Street started dying in their sleep, having sustained wounds that matched the glove he used to torture the kids with. Oddly enough, I found plenty of papers that talked about it, but the guy's name and face was always redacted. Blacked out. Apparently this guy left a huge black mark in Springwood history, so they erased his identity."

That fact alone made Charli all the more uneasy about the house on the end of Elm Street...

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I know, for any of my followers, I'm a completely terrible person. I should be working on my other stories and not posting a new one. I'm very, very, very sorry! But I hadn't been in the mood to write them. Instead, I got on a Nightmare on Elm Street/Friday the 13th/Halloween kick, and it is really persistent. For the longest time, I had never seen the Halloween or Friday the 13th movies until recently (earlier this year and last year). Freddy is still in first place for me, and I had never been interested in Jason. Michael is a lot more interesting to me than Jason. I hated Season of the Witch. It was a terrible non-sequel of the Halloween series. Never watching it again.

Anyway, this story will be a crossover/classic and remake mash-up/alternate universe fanfic of the NoES, Halloween, and F13 series. I'm not listing it as a crossover in the site's database, partly because, how often do people actually go looking for crossovers? I don't normally. I wanted it in the main list. It will contain elements from the movies, but as I said before, it's an alternate universe. Anyway, please leave a review and give me your thoughts on the story so far. Thanks a bunch!


	2. Freddy

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER II – **_**Freddy**_

* * *

Charli prepared dinner that night, as her mother was out at a weekly meeting that advertised her services as an interior decorator, getting herself some potential clients. Even her dad was busy with work, whether in his own office or at his job in town. Gabby had been left in her care as soon as she got home. And when Claire had gone, Gabby went into Charli's room to draw and colour while her elder sister did her homework until it was time to make dinner. Afterwards, Charli would finish up her work, then sat down to watch a kids movie with her little sister before putting her to bed at eight. Once the kid was tucked in, the teen retreated to her room, signing onto her laptop to find she had a few messages in her email. A couple were from Eva, one telling her to join a new social network website, the other being the invite itself.

Pressing the link provided, she was brought to an interestingly designed page urging her to sign up. Deciding the hell with it, she filled in the spaces, agreed to the terms of service, and did up her profile, forgoing a picture for the time being until she had one she deemed appropriate. It was like Facebook, only completely customizable in appearance and content, and the best part was that one could only join by invite, so that filtered a lot of unwanted idiots according to Eva. Her new friend had given her a couple of friend suggestions, being the other two she met at school, adding them as well. There was apparently a desktop application that was like a new Skype for users of the site, so installing that, it didn't take long before she was contacted by the raven-haired girl for a video chat.

"_'Sup, kid,"_ she greeted from Charli's speakers, face appearing on screen. _"Took you long enough to get online."_

"Sorry, was getting my chores and homework out of the way."

"_I figured. Even if you're an outcast, you seem to be a bit of a goody-two-shoes."_

They chatted for another hour before Charli had to say, though she hesitated, knowing what was usually the result, "Listen, about earlier..."

_"Look, you being new and all, I guess I got a little excited having someone else to voice my interests with, even if they're not interested in the same things I am. I talk a lot, so sorry."_

"No, I'm not talking about that. It's about what I said of me just guessing. There's a reason I'm an _outcast_ as you say, and not just because I'm introverted." This was the test, to see if Eva was even worth the trouble of being friends with.

"_Oookaaay? Just tell me already, woman. I doubt whatever you have to say will shock me."_

"I have a gift," she began.

"_What, like an X-Men?"_

"No—sort of—I don't know, the thing is, I kind of inherited something my grandmother had. She was an empath of sorts, but I...well, I can sense things and I just know things."

_"Like a psychic?"_

In simplistic terms? "Sort of. Extrasensory Perception is the proper scientific term, but sure."

The girl on the other side of the call suddenly had this excited look on her face. _"I _knew_ I had a good feeling about you! Oh my god! This is like a sign from heaven or hell that we were meant to meet!"_ Charli made a surprised expression that had her friend laughing, _"Sorry, since I believe in the supernatural and all that, I'll believe just about anything that most won't. Aliens, mole people, El Chupacabra, ghosts, zombies, vampires—you name it. Hell I even believe in the flying spaghetti monster, man. And ESP is a real thing, people can deny it all they want. I never thought I'd meet someone who had it though."_

Charli sighed, both with patience and relief. "If you're quite done," she began unable to help the smile, "those things you said about the child killer. You said there were papers but the guy's identity was blacked out entirely from them?" Eva murmured her confirmation. "Well, I always had a bad feeling about that house, so that case must be real, right?"

_"Of course it is. Hey—wanna check out the house tonight?"_ Eva suggested, barely able to contain her excitement. _"Can you do readings and stuff? You said you just know things, right?"_

"Among other things, but no, just being close to that house gives me a headache." Eva deflated, pursing her lips in disappointment. "But if I looked at the articles, I might be able to get a name." And she perked up again.

"_Oh, my god, that would be fucking amazing of you. It's been driving me crazy not knowing who this guy was. There's been somewhat similar cases that are just weird. Not the same modus operandi, but the level of weirdness is almost on par. I've got this scrapbook thing I keep building on of cases that catch my interest. I'd show you at school, but one of the teachers tried to confiscate it last year because it had _inappropriate_ material for the school environment. Like, who gives a shit, guys bring porno mags and drugs to school."_

"That's okay, I'll pass for the moment." Part of her was curious, the other part thought maybe she was better off not knowing.

_"The asshole even called my dad. Anyway, I can send you the scans I have."_

Charli had the files moments later, looking at the aged articles all about the one the newspapers had called the _Springwood Slasher,_ despite being copies of microfilm scans. She read what she could to make sense of the past. So, the technicality was based upon how the officer didn't sign the warrant in the right place, and that this guy was never cited his rights. So an illegal search and lack of Miranda let this guy go? Parents had voiced their outrage, and she couldn't blame them. Their children had been taken away from them. It didn't matter how old or young they were, most were under eleven, and it made her shudder to think that if this guy was still around, he'd most likely go after her little sister. Still, even as she spent nearly two hours reading everything about the guy, nothing came to mind. Not even a face.

Eva had long since logged off, so Charli shut her laptop to get ready for bed. A feeling nagged at her persistently, keeping her awake. Deciding to work off the energy she supposedly had, she went downstairs to look in on Gabby, then continued down to the kitchen, getting a glass of orange juice. Satisfied, she returned to bed, lying on her stomach and closing her eyes, face buried in her pillows, sleep finally enveloping her.

_Screeeech..._

Charli jolted in bed, looking around wildly. Had she imagined it? About to lay her head back down, the terrible sound made itself known once more. Outside? Looking out her window, she barely caught a glimpse of a shadow walking away. She bolted out of bed and headed downstairs, going to the living room to grab a fire stoker. She pressed the code on the security before opening the door, stepping out slowly. Looking down both ends of the street, she found nothing on the right, but she did see someone walking towards the end of the street on the left. She frowned, finding that the person looked remarkably like Eva.

Without a care for the open front door or the strangeness of this situation, Charli followed, drawn by something. Her bare feet padded along the concrete after her friend, only stopping short when she reached a decrepit little house, big enough for a small family. The girl had barely caught sight of Eva entering the building, and for reasons unknown to her, she felt slightly panicked. Caught between wanting to get her friend out of there and feeling compelled to stay away, she cursed, marching up to the house and stepping inside feeling slightly disgusted by the feeling of dust beneath her feet.

Wait, dust? It was apparent that as she walked, she left behind little footprints, but only saw her own. So where was Eva's tracks? The headache she now had got worse the longer she stayed in this house, and there wasn't any sign that Eva was or had been here. The wallpaper had dulled and peeled off the walls, the paint had flaked off, wood degraded with age. There was no warmth here, only the feeling of emptiness and pent up rage. Swallowing hard, she walked along the creaking floorboards, stepping into a family room with an old television set with the bunny ear antenna. The tube set had its screen smashed in, Charli sensing frustration from the object.

"_Chaaarloootte..."_ called a dark voice.

Another _screech_, and Charli turned around sharply. She saw a flickering of light from the foyer and she cautiously went to investigate, finding that the light was in the kitchen, but it wasn't the kitchen. A door to the basement was open, light swinging back and forth out of view. Shakily with her free hand, she opened the door further to find a light bulb swinging non-stop. Reaching up, she finally ceased the pendulum motion, looking down into the basement.

"Eva?" she called out. "Are you down there?"

She had only been answered with that terrible sound, like metal scraping at metal. Something pulled at her, urging her to descend into the depths of the house. Each wooden step threatened to give way under her weight, but she managed to reach the bottom. As was typical of a basement, it was used as a storage for things not in use, and there was a washer and dryer that looked incredibly out of date. Looking around in the door, she barely could make out a wooden door behind the stairs. Approaching it, she slowly reached out to open it.

"_No! Please! Please don't kill me!" _screamed a woman, causing Charli to stop short. _"Please! I won't tell! I won't—!" _Her scream became incredibly loud, only to be stopped with disturbing abruptness.

Something snapped, bringing Charli back to her senses. She had to get out of here. Now. The girl turned just as the door began to slowly open with a dark creak. Rushing up the stairs and to the front door as she was incredibly distraught to learn wouldn't budge as she tried to open it. Upon the realization she wasn't permitted to leave, she felt a presence behind her. On instinct, she swung around with the stoker to strike down this unknown figure, but it was caught and yanked out of her grip. A shadow lurked before her, taking a step towards her, forcing her to back up against the door just as they raised their right hand that donned a glove with four long blades, glinting menacingly, even in the dark.

Charli let out a short shriek as this entity brought down the claws, embedding themselves into the door beside her head, running the blades downward as the wood gave way and splintered apart. She stared wide eyed, sweat beading on her face as this figure showed amusement at her terror. She cringed away from the claws as far as she could go, but it was no use, this thing had her trapped, putting a strangely textured left hand on the other side of her head. She was too terrified to scream, call for help, anything, even as this creature in the shape of a man studied her, as if perplexed. Even in the dark she could barely make out its appearance.

There was a dark brown fedora atop his head, slightly tilted down, though that didn't hide the pale green eyes that pierced into her own dark orbs. From what she could see in the dark, his frayed sweater had thick horizontal stripes of a dulled and dark red and green. His dark pants looked uniform, as though he worked in a shop or plant. His dark work boots only added to her brief assumption. The most notable thing about his appearance, besides the clawed glove on his right hand, was the texture of his skin. It looked as though it had been pulled, stretched, and folded. Ugly scars littered his entire being, like he had been melted at one pointed. These were the scars of someone who had been burned.

This creature grinned yellowed, possibly rotten, teeth. _"It's been so long since someone has ventured into my midst,"_ he rasped as though his insides had been burned as well. _"I ought to savour this one..."_ He chuckled darkly, leaning forward to lick up the side of her face as she cringed away with a whimper. _"I can taste your fear. You reek of it. Good...so __**wake up**__!"_

* * *

A scream resounded throughout the house, loud enough that it would be almost certain that even the neighbours could hear it. Hurriedly, Mason and Claire rushed to the attic to find their elder daughter curled up in a ball crying. Claire reached her first, sitting on the bed beside her to roll her daughter over and pull the terrified teen into her arms.

"Dear god! What happened, Charlotte?! Tell us, baby!"

Charli began to finally make sense of what was around her, her sobs calming down as she recognized her mother, curling more into her. "M-mom..."

But Charli didn't want to talk about it. When she had finally calmed down, she told them it was a terrible nightmare, but that she would be okay. It rattled her parents to find out that a nightmare of all things scared her at her age. Dreams couldn't hurt you, but the fear felt real enough. His tongue, Charli shuddered, had felt real. Dreams couldn't hurt you... This would repeat in her head all morning, even as she sat quietly at the kitchen table with her parents occasionally glancing at her in silence.

To fill the silence, Mason cleared his throat. "So, Charlotte, how was your first day?"

Grateful for the change of tone, Charli sat up a little more straight as she poked at her bacon. "Okay, I guess. I think I made some friends."

"Oh, that's good!" her mother piped up, sitting down with a fresh cup of coffee. "Maybe we can invite them over for dinner sometime. What are their names?"

"Eva, Nick, and Logan."

The mention of male names caught her father's attention. "What are they like?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but Charli knew better. She knew he didn't approve of the idea of her dating. Ever.

"Eva is into some...interesting topics, so she wants to be an investigator. Nick is into science, I think. And Logan is..." Well, what was there to say about Logan? "I don't know him well enough to have a sound opinion, but he's okay."

"I see," was all he said, clearly disappointed with the lack of information. When the doorbell rang, he folded his newspaper up and stood to go answer. "Who the hell would that be?"

Mason opened the door to find a senior adolescent standing on the front step wearing glasses. Nick turned back towards the sound of the door opening, only to be greeted by the sight of a foreboding father figure. "U-um, hello. I'm Nick. I'm a friend of Charli's?"

"Hey Nick," Charli greeted, practically bulldozing past her father. "Bye dad!" This relieved the poor boy as he was pulled away. "Sorry, dad's a little cautious this morning."

"Why," he asked, slowing down to match her pace since he had longer legs. "Did something happen?"

"No," she said at first, but amended her statement," well, sort of. I kind of freaked out my parents early this morning. It's nothing."

"Well, if you need to talk, I'm always available to lend an ear."

She slowed down a little more. "I had this nightmare. I was following who I thought was Eva into that house, but when I went inside, there wasn't any sign that she had been there. No footprints in the dust, nothing."

"What else happened?"

She hesitated. "I went into the basement, and there was this woman's scream. It was the most horrible sound, and I knew she was being murdered by someone, or something. I tried to escape through the front door, but it was locked and that thing already had me cornered." Nick watched her intently now, looking apprehensive, especially of the dark expression she now wore on her features. She was afraid of describing the creature she saw, so she skipped that part entirely. "It attacked me and I woke up screaming. I probably woke up the whole neighbourhood too."

"That's truly fucked up!" Eva suddenly said from behind them, making them both jump. She laughed, "Why are you guys so jumpy?"

"Don't _do_ that!" Nick cried out. "You're gonna give us heart attacks!"

"Oh my god!" Eva began, ignoring his reprimanding. "Did Charli tell you about her gift?! Isn't it awesome?"

Nick was oblivious, clearly confused by the sudden change of topic. "What gift?"

"She's got E-S-P, man!"

"Eva!" Charli cried, clearly panicked. She should have known better than to inform Eva of her abilities.

"What?" she asked, clueless. "It's not a big deal. What, do you think we'll judge you just because you can do psychic stuff?"

"What, really?" _Now_ Nick was catching on, clearly in awe. "What can you do?"

Caught by surprise again, Charli looked between the pair and scoffed, disbelieving. "It's not a big deal or anything. At my old school, because would think I was weird or something. And whenever I tried to explain, they would..." she couldn't finish.

Eva pursed her lips. "They would tease you, accuse you lying and seeking attention, and all that? Well, I can see why you would hide it. I keep telling you, people are assholes. Besides, _I_ believe you. And so does Nick. Right, Nick?" she asked him suddenly with an expectant look.

"Of course. It's actually kind of fascinating. What can you do exactly?"

Charli stood there, completely astounded. She felt that sense of relief again and actually felt herself smile. "Well, like I said, it's not a big deal..."

They talked some more about it on their way to school. But after they all separated for classes, the morning became dull while Charli sat in Business Studies, hardly listening to the teacher drone on and on about this and that. She only took this course because her parents insisted on it. If she missed anything, she could just review the notes. Besides, her mind was still on the dream. It didn't take long before she finally realized that she had been doodling in her notebook subconsciously, roughly sketching the nightmare man's face before dropping her pencil, startled by what she had created. Staring through her spectacles at the face, she picked up her pencil again and closed her eyes, letting her right hand move of its own accord. Slowly, the pencil scraped against the paper, and when her instincts finished guiding her, there it was as she opened her eyes...

_Freddy_, she read inwardly.

Lunch finally arrived and Charli didn't bother buying her lunch today, too caught up in the way the gears in her mind turned. Her trio of friends arrived, perplexed by the way she simply sat there, staring at the little doodle. The three of them watched her in silence until Eva had enough, shoving her shoulder lightly.

"Hey, Earth to Charli, what's got you so spooked?"

Nick watched Charli while she finally looked up, appearing lost. "Is it the nightmare you had last night?"

"What nightmare?" Eva asked. "You mean the one I caught the tail end of this morning?" He nodded. "Shit, maybe I shouldn't have shown you those articles last night then. Didn't think you'd get hung up on them."

"What the hell did you do now, Evangeline?" Logan asked, actually looking concerned.

"She wanted to know! So I..." she trailed off, eyes landing on the doodle. "What the hell is that? Who's Freddy?"

Charli shook her head. "I don't know. This is the name that popped into my head during class. I think it's his name, the guy who attacked me in my dream."

Logan frowned. "Your dream?" He sighed. "Look what you did now Eva, you freaked her out with your stories. Nobody wants to hear that shit!"

Rather than linger on the whole thing, Charli had to admit she was dwelling too much on a stupid dream. She ripped out the page, crumpling the paper. "Forget it, it was just a dream. Moving on," she began, tossing the ball towards a nearby trash, the paper barely bouncing off the edge and inside. "My mom indirectly invited you all over for dinner, so if you ever want to, you know, come over, you can."

"Your dad scares me," Nick admitted.

Charli smiled. "He tries to scare everyone."

"That's so cool, I don't think these two losers ever invited me over. Some friends," Eva lightly complained.

"I don't think my old man would approve of me bringing anyone over," Logan replied bitterly. "And Nick's parents are a little too conservative to handle you and I."

The argument between Logan and Eva continued while Charli and Nick sat there in uncomfortable silence. After school finally ended for the day, they decided on making the plans for Friday night to give their parents a couple days notice. Logan didn't join them on their walk home this time, so it was just the three of them. Eva eventually left the other two alone as they headed for Elm and Almont. They briefly stopped on the corner, bidding their farewells before Charli continued home.

However, she paused in front of the picket gate, looking down the street where that house would be. Part of her felt compelled to finally take Eva up on her suggestion to see the house, and give herself a sense of closure that her nightmare was all it was, a dream. Shaking her head, she went inside to do her homework and keep to herself most of the evening until it was time for dinner and she told her mother about her plans for Friday. Once she got the okay, she decided to head to bed early to catch up on what she had lost the night before.

Luckily for her, her dreams weren't haunted by the nightmare man...

* * *

The rest of the school week was over, and it was now Friday. Charli had already gotten home to prepare for their arrival. During the last couple of days, her excitement had gradually grown, slightly happy that she would be among friends. Her father gave her leave for Saturday on job hunting so that she could hang out with her friends, which surprised her, but since Eva was actually staying the night while the boys would be going home late, she figured there had to be a compromise. Eva was the first to arrive, and the girl had brought over a very packed bag. Once inside Charli's room, she looked around in approval, saying something about it having good feng shui. Nick arrived shortly afterwards, followed by Logan who held that usual scowl on his face.

They sat on the floor of her room while Charli asked, "Mom gave me some money, so we can order whatever we want, as long as my little sister gets something."

"How about pizza? That's always the popular choice," Eva suggested, acting slightly bubblier than usual.

Everyone seemed to agree, even if it was a cliche choice. After making the order for three extra large, Charli heard footsteps coming up to her room, spotting Gabby. "Hey squirt."

"I'm hungry," she said.

"Pizza's on its way, so you'll have to wait."

"Who are these people?"

"They're friends from school."

"You have friends?!" the child cried bluntly, completely astounded.

"Oh my god," Eva started. "You two look so much alike and she's so cute. Charli! Why didn't you tell me your sister was cute?! I think I'm about to die! What's your name, sweetie?"

"Gabby," she replied shyly then ran away, causing Eva to pout.

The others chuckled as Eva sobered a little, going into her bag. "I brought over some stuff. Remember that scrapbook I told you about?" Charli nodded. "Well, you can have a real look at it. I got lots of weird cases in here."

"Here we go," Logan began.

Charli was soon handed a very worn binder that was held together by glue and duct tape. She briefly flipped through the pages gently, afraid it would fall apart any moment. She set it aside for the time being. "I'll look at it later."

"Since we're waiting, how about we talk about ourselves. I mean, we don't know a lot about you Charli, and there's a lot you don't know about us," Eva suggested. "I'll start, okay. Um, my dad is wrapped around my finger. My mom died of cancer when I was very young, and as you already know, I'm into the paranormal and supernatural shit, so naturally, I want to be a paranormal investigator."

Charli listened intently then smiled. "Sorry about your mom."

Eva hugged her fishnet covered legs as she nodded slightly. "Yeah. She's kind of the reason I got into the whole thing really. You know what I mean?" Charli did, nodding.

Nick cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I'll go next." He hesitated, somewhat shy about the whole thing. "You could say my parents are well off and kind of...overprotective, so at times, they're a little narrow minded and don't really approve of my choice of company." He paused, barely glancing at Eva and Logan. "I've always been fascinated with science fiction, so I want to write those kind of novels."

Charli's smile warmed. "Are you writing something now?"

He shook his head, embarrassed. "Not really. I keep putting down notes and everything, but I don't know what to actually write about."

"If you do, I'll be happy to read it," she declared kindly. "I like reading, so..."

He smiled. "Yeah, I'll let you know."

When it came to Logan, the guy had hesitated. "There isn't much to tell."

"Oh c'mon, you chicken shit. The rest of the world is dying to know," Eva pushed. "It's your turn, so don't back down. Be a man."

A muscle twitched in his jaw, clearly annoyed with Eva. "Fine." He sighed, looking directly at Charli. "My old man is an alcoholic, and my mother left when it got worse, leaving me with him. Bastard would smack me a good one every now and then, so I make it a habit to stay away from him. And the only reason I'm even hanging around you all is because I've got nothing better to do. So pardon me if I don't like sharing intimate details with you all."

The room was silent for a bit. To break the silence, Charli went on with her piece, murmuring loud enough for them to hear her. "My grandmother used to live in this house. I would visit her once or twice a year, but every time, I always thought of her as the most amazing person. She told me I had a gift like her. She was an empath, and I inherited some of that, among other things." She grew quiet, but she continued as though lost in her thoughts as she spoke, "When she died, I cried for a couple of weeks. Whenever I was with her, if I could describe the physical sensation of love, it would be feeling warm as though you were held in an embrace the whole time. That's how I always felt about my grandmother, Faye. I was angry at my parents for a bit because I always felt like they practically jumped on the inheritance and didn't feel anything about her being gone. I know that's not true, I was just upset..."

"Oh Charli," Eva whispered in sympathy. "I felt the same when my mom died."

"Back in Columbus, I didn't really have any friends. I always drove them away because they thought I was too weird. So I stopped trying. I had doubts about moving to Springwood, but I guess some good things came out of it." She smiled a little sadly.

* * *

The guys had left around eleven, and the girls were in the bathroom while Charli brushed her teeth and Eva washed off her dark makeup, giving her a completely different look. Eva looked over at Charli. "So, you're looking for a job?"

"Yeah," Charli said after spitting out mouthwash.

"Well, I know a place. I can put in a word for you. I work there Saturday evenings and all of Sundays. They don't care about how you dress and shit. It's pretty laid back, and I'm sure the boss could hire one more person."

"That would be great. I really appreciate that."

"No problem," she said and they went back up to Charli's room. "So, what did your parents think of us earlier?"

Charli nearly laughed at the memory. As typical fathers go, Mason's reaction to the two boys was expected, but he seemed more approving of Nick than Logan. Claire looked shocked at Eva's darkened appearance but said nothing about it. "Well, I'll put it this way. Come around enough, and I'm sure they'll warm up to you all."

"That's what I thought," the raven haired girl replied with a snicker.

They sat down as Charli glimpsed the book. Leaning over to grab it, she set it gently in her lap. "How many people are in here?"

"A few. I've got articles and shit about Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers, along with the one I already told you about."

"And who are they?" Charli asked, genuinely curious.

Her friend leaned over to flip the pages to a particular section. "Well, Jason Voorhees is this guy in Sussex County, New Jersey. He...well, he was this deformed kid who drowned at Camp Crystal Lake when he was eleven. His mother, naturally, blamed the counsellors who were too busy getting their freak on. She went crazy and killed them, and she tried to prevent the camp from being opened again, so she would do things like poison the water, and other shit like that. When that didn't work, she killed most of the counsellors that were there. _But_ she got beheaded by a survivor, and supposedly, her son witnessed the event and took revenge of his own. Some say he's still there, killing unwary travellers that go to Camp Crystal Lake. Before Jason started coming around, the place was labelled _Camp Blood_."

Charli sat there, looking at the worn articles. Eva must have looked at this plenty of times to have looked this worn. "Jesus," she murmured. "It seems like his mother got what she wanted. Doesn't seem like they've been successful in reopening the camp."

"Nope."

"What about Michael Myers?"

"Him? Well, comparatively, his case is probably the most normal. See, when he was just six years old, he killed his older sister. The murder gained a lot of infamy, and he was locked up in an asylum for fifteen years. Then he escaped to go back to Haddonfield in Illinois, killing a few teenagers, and some hospital staff, all to get to his baby sister. This all happened on Halloween, and since then, the holiday's been banned."

"Why did he kill his sister?"

"No one knows. Some believe he resented her. The more religious nuts think he was cursed. Everyone had different ideas on why he did it."

"What about his younger sister...did he get her?"

"Yeah, eventually. Chick went crazy after that night and ended up being institutionalized. He was never caught nor killed—successfully—and he found her a few months later. So he killed everyone in his way there and finally his sister. After that, nobody heard from him. He just...disappeared. It's like he got what he wanted and that was it."

They chatted some more before going to bed. The mattress was more than big enough for the two of them, so Charli was willing to share as she faced the window in her sleep. It was quiet, and somehow that disturbed her more than it should. Opening her eyes, she knew something felt off, and when she looked over, Eva wasn't there. Instead, a shadow stood in the middle of her room, light from the window glinting off the blades of the nightmare man. This put her in a state of alarm and she scrambled to get up, but he merely laughed flicking up his index claw which seemed to trigger some unseen force suddenly pinning her to the bed on her back in a position that mocked a crucifixion. She tried to get up, barely getting an inch off the bed, but otherwise, she couldn't budge.

He chuckled tauntingly as he responded, _"You didn't think I was gonna let ya get away, did ya?"_ He watched her struggle against her invisible bonds some more with some amusement in his eyes. They always fought him or ran away, but the result was always the same. Now she was his to play with how he saw fit. He walked over with predatory slowness. _"Oh, now, you're gonna go and hurt my feelings. Struggling like that, you're making me believe you hate me."_ He smiled. _"Or...is this your way of foreplay?"_ She froze, and he laughed.

"Who are you?" she demanded warily.

"_You know exactly who I am, Charlotte. You figured it out all by yourself no less."_

So, his name _is_ Freddy. "You're just a dream. A figment of my imagination. A very...scary figment," she murmured, swallowing some. She watched with disgust as he climbed onto the bed, lying on his left on her right, able to see his horrible face with more clarity.

"_Whatever makes you sleep at night,"_ he said with a grin at his own joke. For his own amusement, he fingered the collar of her top with his claws in deep consideration. _"At the moment, I'm more interested in how you're here."_ Her brows wrinkled in confusion. _"You're the first one I've had in years, and after I let you go the first time for my own personal interests, I half didn't expect to see you again. At least...for now. But here you are."_

"Who are you?" she asked almost fearfully.

"_I'll give you one guess,"_ he said, and he brandished the blades with a grin. He watched with some fascination as the realization sunk in, her pupils shrinking somewhat. _"Yes,"_ he rasped. _"It was I who killed the piglets those years ago."_

"W-why?! They were just kids!"

_"And they would have grown up to be just as insufferable as their mommies and daddies. And they would have little rugrats of their own, like the ones who don't understand you. Never _tried_ to understand you."_ Her face changed, making it unreadable. Freddy tilted his head, thinking he'd finally caught her. _"Tell me, do you really trust your new friends? In the end, they could turn out to be just like the rest of them. I can spare you the pain, Charlotte—"_

"Fuck you."

He regarded her for a moment. _"Is that an invitation?"_ At her flinch, he snickered evilly. _"I might be a little rusty. After all,"_ he said, raising his claws again, _"it's been awhile for me."_ He laughed as fear consumed her, ready to scream.

* * *

**A/N:** First of all, I'd like to say this now. If ANYONE notices any typos or misspellings, please send me a message so I can correct it. Though keep in mind, I'm Canadian, so I'll have that spelling for certain words. Anyway, I have the next two chapters written up, and from now on, as a general rule I myself will follow, I will post a chapter **ONCE A WEEK**. But it will be for any of my stories that I choose. So I could put up another chapter for this story, or it could be for my Hellsing fic, or my FFVII story. This will provide me with a buffer, even if I get ahead or fall behind. I will try to follow my own rule for as long as possible. However, if I should lose internet, I don't have any control over that. So, expect a chapter for whichever story at least once a week either on Thursday or Fridays. I only posted this one earlier because it's Freddy's cameo, but it's Thursday for me anyway.

Anyway, please leave a review. And thanks for reading.


	3. Scars

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER III – **_**Scars**_

* * *

Freddy was still laughing as Charli became more desperate. Only when he placed his index blade over her lips did she finally still, eyeing the sharp talon cautiously. Pleased, he removed the claw. _"I have to warn you, princess...the first time tends to get a little...messy."_

"GET. OFF!"

With a strength she was unaware she had, she managed to push against the invisible force holding her down and shove him off. Feeling her restraints leave, she bolted off the bed and down the stairs. As she reached the bottom in the hall, she fell with a scream and felt as though she was descending forever until landing painfully on a metal grated catwalk. Crying out in pain, she just lied there, simply allowing the pain to pass until she felt confident enough it was tolerable. As she stood, she looked around, finding herself in what looked like an industrial plant of some sort, a red atmosphere blanketing the area as though bathed in fire and blood.

There was a _tsk_ behind her, and she spun sharply to see Freddy walking up a staircase, coming into view as the clouds of humidity parted from him. He stalked towards her slowly with that horrible smile, dark and perverse with promises of what he would do to her. Every step he took, she backed up twice as far. This was all a game to him. Like cat and mouse, and she was the mouse. She inhaled deeply, gripping the railing for some kind of subconscious support.

"You're a dream!" she told him, though it was more for her own comfort. "You're a dream, dammit! Go away! I've done nothing to you! And you're dead!" Wait...dead?

He stopped as though he read her thought, smirking in amusement. _"Yes...I'm dead. But in this world, I am eternal. You know things, Charlotte. Nobody tells you. You just know. Not only that, but you've got hidden potential in that...body of yours,"_ he explained, the last bit with his lips curling more upward. _"I've got you under my claw, little Charlotte, and I plan to make good use of you."_

"Go to hell, you bastard!"

He laughed then sobered, wearing that dark grin. _"This _is_ hell. Now, c'mere!"_

"Like hell!"

And she ran again, going the opposite way and descending another flight of stairs and practically flying across the concrete ground through the endless maze of pipes and tanks. In front of her, she nearly cried out in relief at the sight of a door, running through it, the force swinging it open, and with one blink, she found herself in a different place altogether. It was a park in the middle of the night, and she heard something faint in the distance. Looking around, she saw a bunch of little girls in white dresses and Mary-Jane shoes. As she approached while they skipped rope, as though in slow motion, she heard their ominous song.

"_One, two, Freddy's coming for you..."_

Lightning flashed across the skies and it began to rain, soaking Charli, hair sticking to her face. Her eyes would not tear away from the girls, as if in a trance.

"_Three, four, better lock your door..."_

She felt something coming, her senses coming back to her slowly with the sense of imminent danger.

"_Five, six, grab your crucifix..."_

It was suddenly so cold, but her back felt hot as though there was a fire behind her.

"_Seven, eight, gotta stay up late..."_

Slowly, she turned, fear gradually increasing as she was greeted by the sight of a smug Freddy. He grinned, reciting the final line with a menacing rasp as though he growled, _"Nine...ten...never sleep again."_

The teen screamed, and he grabbed her neck with his left hand, having her suddenly against a wall inside what she recognized as Freddy's old house. He moved in close, looking her over with a foreboding lust. For blood or flesh, she didn't know, but she wasn't ready to die, trying to push him off of her. Freddy practically shrugged off her attempts, grinning at her weakness. Yes, he would torment her now, but let her live, for the moment. After all, she had to spread the fear for him, or this would have all been for nothing.

"Freddy!" she cried out, making him still as he was about to mar her face with a claw. When he stopped, she blinked open her eyes, surprised to find that he looked disturbed.

Why? Why did calling his name make him hesitate? Something in the way her voice sounded saying his name. Now that he stared at her, and _really_ stared at her, even her face bothered him. Her hair, her eyes, everything. Charli could sense that he was incredibly confused, making her the same way simply because he was hesitating in the inevitable torture and mutilation that was sure to happen.

He was displeased, frowning for once as he just scrutinized her. _"Who are you?" _he asked, surprising her.

What? Why was he asking her now? And of all the things, if he knew about her troubles, why would he bother asking this? "Charli?"

_"No! Who_ are_ you?!"_ he demanded. Scowling, he grabbed her hair, earning him a shriek as he stared into her dark orbs. After awhile, his face visibly softened. Yes, now everything was becoming clear. _"You're his brat, which means you're her..."_

Charli just remained silent. Was he talking about her dad? She felt his grip loosen in her hair, much to her own confusion. Wasn't he about to torture her? "Her?"

Freddy couldn't believe it. He knew the one child he wanted the most when alive would have gone on living, completely oblivious that Freddy targeted him. But to have a child of his own, no, that wasn't what disturbed Freddy. It was the fact she had _her_ face. How did he not see it before? Now he couldn't stop looking at her, and it pissed him off knowing that he could never...

He released her, backing up one step. _"Your grandmother,"_ he started, his voice thicker than usual.

Charli stood there, wary of him while frantically looking for a way out. Still, she was dangerously curious about what he wanted to know, and what he already did know. "She's dead, if that's what you want to know. She died months ago."

He registered this information, and for a split second, she thought he looked sad, but it was gone before she could confirm it. _"Faye Dahl...was that her name?"_ Her brows burrowed some as she slowly nodded. _"So she's gone..."_

"How do you know her?" Charli demanded.

The anger resurfaced as he slammed her against the wall, pinning her by her neck with his bare hand. He growled at her, _"Tell everyone that Freddy Krueger sent ya!"_ To make his point, he grabbed her upper arm and sliced four long marks across it, earning a short scream of pain.

It was enough to wake her, letting out a pained sob. Eva stirred, wondering what the commotion was about. When she saw that her friend was bleeding, she went on high alert. "Oh my god, Charli! What happened to you?!" But Charli could only cry as she tried to keep her arm from bleeding. Eva grabbed the first piece of fabric, being her own black sweater on the floor to place on her friend's arm. "Just hold it there, hun. I'm gonna get your parents." She ran to the stairs, yelling, "HELP! CHARLI'S HURT! MR AND MRS BAINES!"

* * *

Eva paced back and forth in the waiting room of the hospital. She was asked by Claire to watch Gabby while she and Mason stayed in the room with the attending doctor. Gabby sat there crying. Seeing this, Eva crouched in front of her, squeezing her hand reassuringly. Though the doctor had said the cuts weren't life threatening, they were deep enough to cause serious bleeding, and cause for concern about her mental health, as the wounds had been made below her wrist and took it one step further by making a total of four. Eva heard a familiar voice from the room. Stepping out, she saw that Nick and Logan were there, asking about Charli. Earlier she had called them to tell 'em what happened.

Grateful to see them, she choked out, "Guys..."

They both turned and marched towards her. Nick was the first to ask, "Where is she? Is she alright?"

"She...she's fine, she's getting a transfusion to replace the blood she lost."

"How did this happen?" asked Logan, truly concerned.

"I...I don't know, we were both sleeping, but I woke up hearing her crying in pain and she was bleeding."

Logan was afraid to ask, "Did she..."

"No!" she shrilled. "There wasn't anything in her room that she could have used! And it's not like she would have gone to the kitchen and then come back!"

He raised his hands. "Okay, okay, calm down. I just wanted to be sure."

Eva rocked from one foot to the other, hugging herself, muttering, "But the doctor thinks she did."

"Can we see her?" Nick enquired.

The girl shook her head. "No, she's still being treated right now and her parents are with her. They told me to watch Gabby." She looked back into the room to find that the girl was gone, instantly putting her in a panic. "G-Gabby? Oh shit. Oh shit!"

"Calm down, we'll find her," Logan assured her. "Maybe she went to find Charli."

Eva swallowed thickly then nodded. She led them to the assigned room, and sure enough, the little girl was sitting on the floor next to the door, hugging her knees. "Oh, sweet Jesus, Gabby!" she cried in relief, nearly skidding towards the girl and crouching in front of her. "Don't walk away like that again! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Gabby lifted her puffy eyes, still shimmering with tears. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"Yes, hunny, she'll be okay. The doctor said so, right?" She brought the girl into a hug as Gabby nodded, hiccoughing.

An hour later, Charli finally woke up, the painkillers wearing off. She found herself attached to a blood drip, and her left arm was wrapped in bandages. As she groggily looked around, she spotted her parents sitting in the two spare chairs. Wetting her dry mouth, she moaned. Both parents' heads shot up as her mother reached her first, stroking her daughter's hair.

"Oh baby, tell us what you need."

"Water," she rasped.

Mason left the room, coming back moments later with a paper cup. Charli nearly coughed on the liquid, but she felt it sooth the dryness of her throat before lying back down, blinking some to try and stay awake. She looked at her parents, who appeared apprehensive, as though she would fall apart to pieces if they so much as looked away, even for a second. Rather than have them worry, she smiled reassuringly to say she was okay, not feeling up to the physical task of speaking aloud.

Claire sat on the bed, continuously stroking her hair. "Sweetheart, we have to ask... Were you trying to commit suicide?"

Charli frowned, shaking her head. "No, mom. Even if my life isn't picture perfect, I don't want to die. I didn't cut myself. Something else did."

"It was that girl, wasn't it," Mason piped up angrily. "Christ, that kid's with Gabby right now!"

"No, dad! It wasn't Eva! I know who it was, but it wasn't her!"

"Then who?" Claire asked calmly, concern deeply etched into her features,

The girl hesitated, knowing how they would react. She didn't quite believe it herself. Freddy had left his mark in the dream world, which somehow passed onto her physically in the real world. "It was Freddy..." she murmured, afraid to say the name.

"Who the hell is Freddy?"

Charli shook her head. "He's..." She closed her eyes in defeat. Telling them the truth wouldn't do any good. They would think she was crazy and have her see a therapist. The best thing she could do was make a convincing lie. "I...I was having a nightmare again, and this guy Freddy was after me. He cut me in the dream, but I might have scratched myself so bad in my sleep that I probably dreamed about him cutting me."

The parents stared at her for a moment, but that seemed to satisfy them. Freddy had wanted her to spread his name. But why? If that was what he wanted, she'd be damn sure to make it difficult for him. The doctor returned, asking to speak with the parents outside, and somehow, Charli knew that wasn't a good sign.

* * *

Charli was released in the afternoon from the hospital, and once she got home, she went straight to her room, completely exhausted. She flinched at the bloodstains and with a sigh, tore them off. After putting on new sheets, she climbed into bed, closing her eyes. Being so exhausted, the brunette didn't even hear the sound of quiet footsteps as they ascended the stairs into her room and across her thick carpet. She jolted some when she felt the bed move, ready to smack at whatever disturbed her, stopping short when she realized it was Gabrielle.

"Gabby, Jesus, don't sneak up on me like that!"

Gabby stared at her then pointed at her bandage. "Does it hurt?"

Charli looked at it and smiled wryly. "No, it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm okay...really." The child only nodded as Charli sighed, "Look, I'm tired, so I'm taking a nap, okay?"

When her sister didn't answer, the teen resisted rolling her eyes before lying back down. It didn't take long for Charli to realize Gabby intended to join her nap, curling up next to her. With a more patient sigh, Charli wrapped an arm around the girl to hug her close. Gabby must have been frightened when her older sister got hurt. It made Charli more tolerant of the situation, so she allowed her this comfort, for the both of them. After all, part of her was just as scared.

* * *

The first few weeks had been...aggravating, among other things. Her parents had watched her with great concern that she'd hurt herself again. Even her friends looked worried. After snapping at them in annoyance for the pity treatment, they finally got the hint and let it go. Shockingly, Freddy had never bothered her since that night, and she merely had fresh scars on her arm now. Still, she was forced to attend a counsellor at school. News had spread fast about her supposed suicide attempt, and some people had derisively commented on it being a cry for attention, most put notes in her locker. Some were supportive, others were mocking. Either way, she was on edge at school, snapping at anyone who made a single comment.

Right now, as autumn finally settled in with leaves turning red, orange, and gold, it would only be three weeks until Halloween. It was only the ninth of the month, but it felt as though time had gone by quickly and during this lunch period, Charli was too lost in her thoughts as Eva chattered away.

"Earth to Charli!" Eva called out, waving a hand in front of her face, making the brunette jump a little from her daze.

"Hm?"

"I asked what you were doing for Halloween."

"Oh," she replied lamely. "I usually take Gabby out for trick or treating. Afterwards, I just stay in."

"How _boring_," Eva exclaimed. "You don't even dress up?"

"Not really. Other than that, I occasionally hand out candy."

"Ugh! Not this year! This is your final year of high school, so I suggest you live it up. I'll even help you with your costume. I've already got mine picked out, and I plan to get _wasted_ and have premarital sex with a guy I don't even know."

"You realize the risk of STDs is higher with strangers, right?"

"That's what _condoms_ are for," Eva shot back with a grin. "Besides, you need a boyfriend."

Logan snorted. "_You_ don't have a boyfriend."

"I like to keep my options open," she stated.

Charli shook her head. "Why on earth do I need a boyfriend?"

"Okay, I admit," she said, taking out a cigarette, getting ready to temporarily leave them for the smoking area, "boyfriends are overrated. What I meant to say was that you need to get laid. Just...let go, and forget about the real world for one night. Get drunk and all that jazz."

This made half of their party uncomfortable. Charli didn't even think about her virginity. It wasn't something she considered valuable, but she wasn't entirely convinced by the idea of sex. She had certain experiences in the past couple of years where she almost considered it, but otherwise, sex was the furthest thing from her mind. It didn't help that Freddy basically threatened her with rape and mutilation the last time.

"Well, I'm going to have a smoke. Be back in a bit."

Nick shifted slightly in his seat, swallowing hard after that awkward moment. "So...what are you two dressing up as?"

Logan snorted again, this time out of annoyance. "Even if I wanted to, my old man wouldn't allow it. Asshole's got a stick up his ass about everything."

"Any thoughts, Charli?"

She shook her head. "I'm sure Eva will come up with something. You?"

He smiled. "Well, I was thinking of going out as a mad scientist. Typical, I know."

She grinned. "That's kind of cute. I don't think a lot of people dress up as that anymore." He visibly blushed, partly smiling in embarrassment.

* * *

On their way home, Eva rambled on excitedly about Halloween. "I have _so_ many ideas. I was thinking of going out as a nurse, but in a black uniform. I still have to do some shopping—speaking of which, you and I should totally do some together. How about tomorrow before I head to work?"

Charli thought about it, nodding. "I don't think my parents would have a problem with that."

"Cool. By the way, remember when I said I'd talk to my boss?" After a nod from Charli, she went on, "Well, they just let someone go, and now they're hiring. So, I suggest you go in on Sunday morning."

"You didn't even tell me _where_ you work and what you do."

"It's a novelty gift shop called _Harvest Moon_. We sell knick knacks, music, candles, figurines, posters, decorative weapons, that sort of thing. I'll show you everything once you're hired."

"You seem certain I'll be hired."

"Well, _yeah_. I mean, it's not like she'll say no, because frankly, it doesn't require a lot of employees. Besides, I'm vouching for you."

Charli nodded. "Anything I should know for the interview?"

While they chattered away, Logan and Nick hung back. "Do you think Charli's really okay?" Nick asked in a quieter tone. "I mean, after what happened?"

Logan shook his head. "I don't know. On the surface, she seems perfectly fine. She said she scratched herself in her sleep, but scratches don't look like that. Those were clean cuts from a knife...or knives."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what Eva said about that child killer that was let go on a technicality?" Nick nodded. "She said the murder weapon was a glove. Being the weird one she is, she said after he disappeared, kids started dying in their sleep."

Nick looked somewhat surprised by where Logan's mind was going. "I thought you didn't believe in that kind of stuff."

Logan said nothing for a moment, as if caught in indecision. "I don't know, man. To me, Charli seems to have a pretty sound mind. She said she was attacked in her dream before by some guy named Freddy, right? And she wakes up with cuts like that on her arm? My gut's telling me something's wrong, but it's not her. I know an unsound mind, Nick. I see it in my old man every day."

"What are you losers talking about now?" Eva called out.

Logan looked at Charli with an unreadable expression. Without warning, he waltzed up to her, catching her off guard. "Who cut you?"

"What?"

He grabbed her arm, turning her scars upward. "Who cut you?" he repeated more firmly. "You mentioned a Freddy once, and again when you were in the hospital."

Uncomfortable, Charli tore her arm away. "There's no Freddy. He's just someone that showed up in my dreams a couple of times."

"Who is Freddy?!" he demanded.

"Jesus, Logan, just drop it," said Eva, feeling anxious about the sudden change of topic.

"Excuse me for caring!" he shouted. "Did you or did you not cut yourself?!"

Charli hugged herself, taking a step back. "I don't want to talk about this."

Much to everyone's shock, Nick took Logan's side. "Charli, you don't have to hide this from us. We're your friends, right?" Charli hesitated. "Please. Whatever it is, we want to help."

Charli licked her now dry lips, looking away from them for a moment as fear became evident in her features. "I'm afraid of what will happen if I do."

Logan grasped her shoulders, looking into her brown eyes with his own. "Trust us."

And now they all sat in Charli's room on pillows with Eva's scrapbook between them. She had made sure to close the door to her room at the bottom of the stairs, having locked it. The three of them stared at the brunette expectantly as she gathered her courage to tell them the truth. Part of her wanted to lie to protect them, but they would probably see right through her.

Inhaling deeply, she recited what she experienced. "Nick already knows about the first time I met him. I followed who I thought was Eva into that house at the end of the street. When I got there, nobody was there. I went into the basement and there was a woman screaming. I ran, but a man followed me...trapped me. He let me go. H-he..." she wavered slightly. After clearing her throat, she continued, "He had this glove, with knives for fingers, a dirty red and green sweater and this hat on." Again she paused, hesitant to reveal the last detail. "He looked like he had been horribly burned..."

"Oh Jesus," Eva whispered.

"He looked like a m-monster," Charli choked out. Wordlessly, Nick moved over to hug her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "He said something about how it had been awhile since he last saw someone. He wanted to savour it, so he let me go." She swallowed, leaning more against Nick. "The night I got cut...he pinned me down, insinuating he was going to rape me. I managed to get away but he chased me, and I saw these little girls..."

Logan frowned. "Girls?"

"T-they were singing this song..." She looked lost for a moment before she softly sang the lyrics, "_One, two, Freddy's coming for you. Three, four, better lock your door. Five, six, grab your crucifix. Seven, eight, gotta stay up late. Nine, ten..._" She paused, now in a daze, "_...never sleep again._" Everyone became eerily quiet at this.

Eva shivered somewhat, rubbing her arms. "Guy's a total creep."

Tiredly, Charli said, "He caught me, telling me to spread the fear, which is why I didn't want to tell you."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "And that's why he let you go. He cut you to send a message."

Eva looked at him. "I thought you didn't believe in this kind of stuff."

"Those cuts came from somewhere. Krueger got his message across. But who is this guy? What does he want?"

"I don't know," Charli said honestly. "I just know that he was the Springwood Slasher. The guy who killed twenty some odd kids. He knew my grandmother and my dad. Something tells me that if Freddy hadn't been caught, my dad probably would have ended up a victim and I wouldn't be here right now."

"Thank god for big favours," Nick muttered. "But how did he know your grandmother?"

She shook her head. "I don't know, but as soon as he realized who I was, he..." her brows burrowed, "...he backed off. It was weird. Then he kind of shoved me out of the dream after he sliced my arm." Even she didn't know what that meant.

* * *

**A/N:** And that's chapter 3. Next chapter gets more exciting, but for suspense's sake, I'm not gonna tell you what. You'll have to wait until Thursday or Friday next week! Also, I have decided that, like my FFVII RoC fic, I'm going to do a special in this story's footnotes. It was a suggestion from my friend and Top Reader, and I loved it because we were chatting and making fun. I'm calling these specials **Horror Bloopers**. Basically I make fun of a scene from the chapter where the characters are completely out-of-character and otherwise being silly. And here's your first taste...

**Horror Bloopers: _Skit 1_**

Freddy: *trying to intimidate Charli in park scene*  
Girls: *stop skipping after they finish song* Freddy! You never play with us anymore!  
Freddy: But girls! Daddy's working!  
Girls: *all give epic pouts, crossing their arms, huffing*  
Freddy: ...*sigh* Fiiine. *goes off to hold the jumping rope while monotonously singing his song along with them*  
Charli: WTF?


	4. The Shape

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER IV – **_**The Shape**_

* * *

"Are you going to be alright, Charli?" Eva asked at the front door while the guys lingered behind her.

The brunette nodded. "I'll be fine somehow. Talking about it helped a bit."

Her friend nodded. "Just, y'know, call if you need anything. Okay? I know it's only been a month that we've known each other, but friends are friends. We gotta stick up for each other, right?"

Charli understood where she was coming from. As they left, she spent the rest of her time alone, looking through the scrapbook Eva had decided to lend her for the time being. Maybe she'd get a sense from looking at the articles. Dinner was quiet, the girl merely poking at her food the whole time. Before her mother could ask what was wrong, Charli announced she wasn't hungry, promising to eat later before wrapping up her food and heading upstairs. She had a bath in hopes of relaxing, taking a shower afterwards, but it did nothing to quell her worries. Changing into pyjamas, she sat in bed with her laptop, looking up Freddy Krueger, not surprised to find no results. Feeling her eyelids drop, she shut the computer, putting it aside and lying down, curling up in her blankets, allowing sleep to finally consume her.

Tonight felt different. Leaves rustled as a light wind blew away some of the fallen across the dark asphalt. The concrete was damp, as though it had rained earlier, making it glitter darkly under the moonlight. There was no sound in the neighbourhood. No crickets, no noisy teenagers, just the wind through trees preparing to go into dormancy. And Charli's heartbeat. It beat loudly in her ears while she stood on an unfamiliar street. As she looked around, she spotted a street sign that read _Lampkin Lane_, blaring out at her as though it wanted to be seen. Looking down the street, it looked very much like Elm Street with its simple and pretty gable front homes.

The feeling of being watched tingled at her senses. The teen looked around, seeing no one. If this was Freddy's idea of trying to psyche her out, it was working. Rubbing her arms to warm her from the small chill of the night air, she traversed down the middle of the street. Why was she here? And where was Freddy? It unnerved her to think he was playing games with her. How long did he intend to go on screwing with her until he finally decided to kill her? The last time she unfortunately met with him, she ended up in the hospital for the cuts he left her as a constant reminder that he intends to end her. But that had been a month ago. She had been expecting another visit from him any time now, but there wasn't even a whisper from him.

At this moment, this current place felt similar but still different from Elm Street. And like Freddy's old home, she came to stop in her tracks, looking to her left to see what looked like a condemned two-story home. The windows and front door had been boarded up, the white paint having considerably aged and peeled off to reveal the wooden slats underneath. Had it been in better shape, it would have looked pretty generic, perhaps plain. A pair of numbers barely hung on the wall beside its door, forty-five. _Had_ it been in better shape, she would have passed by this house without a second thought.

The sensation returned, though it was more prominent, as though an entity she couldn't pinpoint was studying her. Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, she hugged herself. After that insinuating confrontation last time with the nightmare man, she didn't want to give whatever was watching her any ideas. A moment of that feeling, it eventually went away. Swallowing, her instincts told her to stay out of the house, but then a new sensation arose and she turned her head to see someone who was most definitely not Freddy. Instantly, she was on alert, ready to run the moment it took a step towards her.

It did not move though. Instead, it stared at her through the large eye holes of its white mask that shadowed over a man's eyes, making them appear like black voids from afar. As they were wearing a dark blue mechanic's jumpsuit and the mask that imitated a man's face with messy dark brown synthetic locks, she could not see what they looked like underneath. The only clue was that by his bare hands, he was possibly Caucasian, though she couldn't be certain. What she was sure about was that he dwarfed her by maybe a foot and a half, and his build seemed fit with wide shoulders.

The sound of leaves didn't enter her hearing now, only the sound of her shaky breaths and his calm breathing, even from ten feet away. She shivered, but it wasn't from the cool air. The girl didn't dare move, afraid it would trigger a hostile reaction. This guy made her tense, but not to the level of Freddy since he was just standing there staring at her. Part of her wondered if he wasn't real and was merely a statue. A statue that _breathes_, she reminded herself. But in the dream world, anything was possible, she mentally argued. Regardless, she was forced to agree with her former answer. Even a breathing statue could be dangerous.

Even if she was certain of the answer, she had to be sure. "Is that you, Freddy?" It didn't answer. The teen wet her dry mouth, licking her lips in anxiety. Slowly, she turned to face the stranger completely. "Who are you?" she whispered.

Rather than answer her, it raised its right hand, making Charli only realize just now that they carried a weapon. A kitchen knife that seemed slightly bigger than what was necessary for its original purpose, glinted brightly from the moonlight, taunting her with promises of a painful death. Charli took a step back, her breaths more short from her growing fear. If this person was anything like Freddy, she was in very real danger, regardless if it was a dream. They took a step forward, she stepped back. He stepped forward again, she took three more, then she turned at a run down the street.

She didn't stop, even when she looked over her shoulder to see he was no longer there. Confused, she turned her gaze back in front of her a split second before she ran into something hard. That something grabbed her arm before she could fall and the girl looked up to see it was the masked man. Screaming, Charli tried to wrench herself free, but his strength seemed unreal, nearly bruising her. Pulling her closer, she watched as he raised his knife, its shadow looming over her face. Deciding on the only tactic she could think of, she leaned into him to deliver a knee to his groin, making him falter and loosen his grip, allowing her to successfully pull away, running the opposite direction.

She ran up to a house, banging on the door loudly. "Somebody help me! Please! Someone's trying to kill me!" she cried out desperately. No answer. Cursing, she ran to the next house. "Please help! There's a psycho! Please let me in!"

Receiving no response, she whimpered and simply ran. Wherever she was, she had to leave the street to start. However, every time she reached the end of Lampkin Lane, it would start all over again, as though in an infinite loop. And there he was, standing there before stalking towards her at a quick pace. She noticed he never ran, simply walked. It was as though he was mocking her attempts to flee. The best thing she could do was defend herself somehow, but not even a branch was lying around for her to swing at him. The next option was to hide, but where?

Dark pools spotted the abandoned estate and she hesitated. As he got closer, she decided quickly and ran towards it. Nearly slamming into the front door at her momentum, she temporarily stumbled, but swung open the door and looked around. Charli knew her time was short, so she ran upstairs, disappearing into the closest room just as she heard the front door swing open and shut loudly. Charli quietly hid behind the door of the bedroom, cornering herself with the door as her only source of protection. Seeing as how the place was mostly barren, barely having any furniture at all, this seemed her only option.

Steady and heavy footsteps reached her ears as they ascended the steps, protesting with creaks under the weight. As they stepped into the same room as her, she nearly let out a frightened gasp, covering her mouth as she tried to calm her breathing. There was an agonizingly long pause, as though this man was listening for her. Heart beating heavily, she was certain she would die of an anxiety attack. That was when she felt a different presence enter her subconscious, but she was too focused on the immediate threat to worry herself over it.

After what felt like an eternity, the entity turned and walked out of the room. Once she was certain the footsteps were far enough away, she let out her held breath, still trying to keep quiet. She almost considered staying there for the time being, but wanting to take any opportunity to escape, she slipped from behind the door, trying to put as little weight into each step as possible as she walked towards a window. Unfortunately it was boarded up, and there was no way she could escape through there without making a lot of noise. She mentally cursed, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. Her only chance was to sneak back downstairs and go out the front. However, not knowing where he was problematic.

Regardless, she turned, letting out a scream as she was grabbed by the neck and pushed violently against the window, making the glass break from the force, pieces falling to the floor with a clatter. The masked man didn't even raise the knife this time, merely squeezing her neck. Choking, she grabbed his wrist while clawing at his hand. But he was too strong, and far too enduring. She tried kicking him in the same place as before, but he had learned fast, catching her leg, forcing him to drop the knife. Slowly, he crushed her neck while digging his fingers into her leg as she choked out her pain, unable to scream. Her vision began to blur as she looked behind him, barely seeing something standing in the doorway.

The man paused in his assault as he heard a hard drumming. He looked over, loosening his grip on the girl's neck slightly. She wheezed out, able to take in air now as her vision began to return, her eyes landing on the new presence. Charli took in Freddy's appearance as he drummed his claws on the wall while leaning against the door frame, his bare hand resting at his side. She wasn't sure she was relieved to see him or not, having just barely been spared, even if only for a moment.

The nightmare man took in the scene with a thoughtful expression, the ghost of a smirk on his melted lips. _"It's a little early to be wearing your Halloween costume...__**friend**_**.**_"_ The masked one slowly released Charli, instantly deeming Freddy as the more troublesome target. Charli dropped to the floor, coughing while rubbing her neck. _"That little piglet belongs to me, body...and soul,"_ Freddy warned, gesturing to the girl briefly with a point of his index claw. _"She's not _your_ kill to make."_ The figure angled his head, barely turning to look at the teen, then back at Freddy.

Charli scooted away from the stranger, completely ignored by the other two by now. Unfortunately, she was trapped with Freddy in the doorway. He smirked, raising his hands and waving his fingers towards himself in a come-and-get-me gesture. Taking him up on his challenge, the man marched towards him just before being swiped across his chest with the quartet of blades. He stepped back, looking at the protruding blood while his current opponent chuckled. He looked back up and then stepped forward once more.

When Freddy went to swipe him again, his wrist was caught in a crushing grip, much to his surprise. He tried to wrench from their grip, even kicking the man, but he wouldn't budge. Charli watched with widened eyes as the man kicked out his own leg, sending Freddy flying with superhuman strength across the hall, crashing through the opposite bedroom door. He turned, marching towards where his knife had fallen and picking it up. Turning once more, he stalked out the door to find that the scarred man wasn't where he had landed. He looked left and right, but spun on the spot just as Freddy jumped up behind him, stabbing his blades into the man's shoulder.

"_Ha-HA! Got you now, don't I?"_ he mocked, licking his lips with a grin.

Charli bolted out of the room and down the stairs, brushing past Freddy before practically diving downwards for the door. Freddy went to grab her, but his current enemy pulled out the blades with his spare hand then grabbed his neck, squeezing as he raised his knife, thrusting it downwards into his shoulder. Freddy yelled, being choked for a moment before smiling calmly. The stranger tilted his head before he was surprised by the strength he didn't realize Freddy had of his own. Spinning them around, Freddy threw him down the stairs, the man rolling and crashing at the bottom. The nightmare man looked at the kitchen knife still embedded in his shoulder before pulling it out with a sickening yank, chuckling to himself as he tossed it away.

Meanwhile, Charli ran breathlessly. Now that Freddy had control of the plane, maybe she would be able to escape the loop she had been trapped in. It looked as though luck was on her side this time as Lampkin Lane was no longer infinite, running as fast as she could through the suburbia until she realized something. She skid to a stop and cursed aloud, recognizing her own street. Yes, he had control now, but that meant she was in his reality as well.

"Dammit!" She looked around, and sure enough, she was in front of Freddy's house. "Shit!"

"_There's no running from me, Charlotte,"_ Freddy rasped from behind her. She spun around, taking a few steps back. He chortled some, scraping his claws together in a twitchy motion. _"You can't run. You can't hide. All you can do is __**scream**__!"_

As he raised his claws to strike her down, Charli fell backwards in an attempt to avoid the blades, but he never got the chance to swing downwards. Before he could land a fatal blow, he choked on his own blood as a knife was thrust through his back with such force that his hat fell off, the tip barely poking through his sweater. Charli looked behind Freddy to find the masked man towering behind him like a deadly shadow, holding onto the knife tightly even when the blood made it slippery. Freddy winced then sighed in exasperation. Much to the man's surprise, Freddy stepped away from the blade and bent over to pick up his hat, placing it firmly atop his head.

"_You're starting to piss me off, fucker."_ His foe said nothing, annoying Freddy. _"What's the matter? Cat,"_ he began, raising his claws, _"got your tongue?"_

He laughed, but it was literally cut short as the figure stepped forward in long strides, stabbing him in the stomach and twisting the blade. Freddy coughed, holding onto the stranger for support. Getting seriously ticked, he reached up with his blades to grab his face, instantly gaining access to his subconsciousness. The stranger paused, as though stunned while Charli crawled away backwards. Freddy made an oh sound then slowly smiled, pleased with what he had seen in the man's memories.

"_I thought there was something different about you."_ He chuckled. _"This will make things more interesting."_

Charli watched in horrified fascination of Freddy's hold over the stranger. She almost didn't want to blink, but when she did, she found herself in a hospital. Freddy and the masked one were nowhere to be seen and she shakily got to her feet. The building seemed clean, but the fluorescent lights flickered some, giving off an eerie vibe. Charli cautiously walked through the hall, seeing no one. It was too quiet for her liking and she didn't care to wonder why Freddy would bring them here. Turning a corner, she looked down another hallway towards a reception desk, the lights just as twitchy here.

Swallowing hard, she started down this corridor, the flickering becoming more prominent, then the hall was no longer empty, messed up by splatters and puddles of blood, littered with bodies of nurses, security guards, and orderlies. At the end of the hall in the distance, she could see a figure in a corridor that was different from the rest of the hospital she had seen so far. The doors looked more like they were made of steel, something you'd see in a prison. As she passed reception, she noticed a plaque on the wall reading _Smith's Grove Sanitarium Warren County_ above a list of rules and guidelines for visitors.

Charli focused on studying the man at the end of the hall, staring wide-eyed at the stranger. He just stood there amongst the bodies, wearing nothing but a dirty white shirt, pants, ragged slippers, and a dull looking terrycloth house coat. Greasy dirty-blonde hair reaching past his shoulders curtained around his face, the man slightly hunched over as he stood there. But somehow, she knew he was staring at her. Even from there, she could see his dark eyes.

She also knew who he was, realizing he's the man that was fighting Freddy. "Michael Myers..." she whispered.

It only became clear the moment she read that plaque, remembering the articles Eva had shown her about the infamous killer of Haddonfield on that Halloween night nearly a decade ago. As though his name had triggered something inside, Michael started walking towards her, scarily like a man instead of a monster. Charli stumbled backwards, tripping over something. When she looked over, she whimpered at the closeup sight of a dead guard, and just like that, Michael was nearly on top of her, his giant stature allowing him more ground to cover with each step. She started crawling away, falling on her face when her hands slipped in the blood.

A cry tore from her throat when she was picked up by large hands and thrown against a wall, falling to the floor again. This time, Michael lifted her by her throat and simply held her against where she had been thrown. Weakly, she held onto his wrist as his gaze pierced through her. As she fearfully awaited her demise, she stared at his face, seeing no emotion there. She felt that emotions were there, but she couldn't decipher them. She reached over to try and push him off, but his reach was longer than hers, so she could only brush her fingers over his stubbled face, making him falter in squeezing her throat. His grip loosened as his eyes changed to puzzlement. She breathed heavily through her nose, staring right back at him as she sensed the subtle change, watching as he tilted his head sideways.

"_Oh Michael,"_ drawled out a voice. Both Charli's and Michael's heads turned towards the source to find Freddy standing at the corridor intersection, scraping his claws together. _"You know...you shouldn't touch another man's woman." _He chuckled, knowing he had the man's full attention now, judging by the way his eyes darkened behind his hair. _"Did it feel good, Mikey? Killing your sisters and all those kids?"_ Another chuckle. _"There's nothing like it, is there? Once you taste blood for the first time, you can never go back."_

Suddenly set off, Michael released Charli and marched with deadly purpose towards Freddy. The phantom only laughed at him, dodging his grabs. Frustrated, Michael's hand shot out, finally latching onto his neck before grabbing his head between both hands, squeezing. Freddy let out a long yell, eyes and mouth wide open. The girl watched in astonishment at Michael's physical strength, then Freddy's sudden transformation into a teenage girl like herself with dark blonde hair.

"M-Michael...w-why?" the blonde cried out.

Michael did not seem to care, continuing to crush Freddy's skull, forcing the phantom to release his disguise just as Charli heard a sickening crack. Freddy went limp, the man dropping him after a reassuring squeeze. Charli swallowed thickly at the sight of Freddy's corpse. Michael turned back towards her, making her apprehensive before she looked behind him, which he seemed to notice, following her gaze to find the phantom gliding back on his feet, holding his right elbow while tapping thoughtfully against his temple with a claw, a dark smile on his lips.

"_I've got no time to be playing with you right now. I've got business to discuss with the piglet. So, just for good measure..."_

He waved his claw, and Michael was sent flying into a wall. With another wave, he was sent into the opposite, causing a torn dent in the wall as he fell to the floor. With a grin, he started sprinkling with his claws and the floor beneath the man began to rot and disintegrate before falling through. Freddy walked up to the hole, peering down into a hellish room bathed in red. Michael rolled onto his back, ready to get back up, but Freddy would have none of that, so he began waving a single claw like a music conductor. Michael's head shot around as fleshy tentacles snapped up and wrapped around his arms and legs, pulling him back down and holding him there as he tried to pull on the bindings. Satisfied, Freddy stood straight, drumming his claws over his shoulder. The moment Freddy looked up at Charli, she squeaked and started crawling away.

"_Nuh-uh,"_ he said, waving his claws again, and invisible hands pulled her to the wall on her back. He strolled over at a pace like he had all the time in the world, admiring his work as he got closer. _"Have you been avoiding me, Charlotte?"_ She said nothing, breathing heavily through her nose as he chuckled with that horrible smile. _"Now you've gone and hurt my feelings."_

She spat in his face as soon as he was close enough, snapping out, "Go to hell!"

Unfazed, he wiped his face, smile still plastered there. _"I already told you, little piglet. This _is_ hell."_ The smile sobered slightly as he grabbed her left arm, turning it so that he could admire the mark he left there. _"Hm, I should refresh your memory of who's in charge here."_

Frantic, not wanting to be cut again, she blurted out, "How do you know Faye?"

He abruptly paused as though thrown off by the question. Knowing what she was trying to do, he smiled. _"Wouldn't you like to know."_ She remained steadfast and he sighed, deciding to humour her. _"I'll tell you one thing, piglet. The similarities between you and her are uncanny. Especially the eyes."_ He leaned in close to look into them as he caressed the side of her face with the tip of his index blade.

Her stomach rolled at the smell of his putrid hot breath. Gulping down the vomit that threatened to surface, she mumbled out, "What do you want from me?"

He smirked, stepping back from her. _"I told you. I need you to remind the people of Springwood who I am. They erased me from their pasts, their history. I struck fear into their hearts over thirty years ago by simply walking into their dreams. I was on a roll until they managed to erase me completely. But that wasn't enough."_

"That's why they redacted everything about you," she realized. "But you could still enter their dreams."

His smile widened a little. _"Hearing my name was all that was needed. __**I **__would provide the fear that gives me my power. But they found a way."_

Her brow wrinkled with question, but before he could explain further, her gaze landed on a shadow behind Freddy. He yelled in surprise as Michael's hand grabbed the back of his head and slammed it against the wall next to Charli, nearly bouncing off with the force. Charli dropped to the floor, letting out a breath. She had to wake up. Now. With Freddy distracted, she had to take this opportunity, so she ran again. The girl slammed through a set of double doors, the asylum having turned into Freddy's house.

"God dammit! Let me out!" she bellowed angrily.

As she looked ahead into the kitchen, she saw Michael in his suit and mask, looking around as though confused. Apprehensive of his presence, Charli tried to move out of his line of sight, but he caught her movement, jerking his head in her direction, making her still instantly. She hiccoughed, not able to take the stress much longer, her body trembling. He started towards her and she turned to try and jerk open the front door but it wouldn't budge. She cried out in frustration, and just before Michael could raise his knife again, a ghostly force hit his side, sending him into the living room.

Freddy was already sitting casually in an arm chair, drumming his fingers and claws on the arms. Michael jerked his head in his direction and swung his knife arm into the seat cushion, nearly driving the blade in the pelvis that narrowly dodged. Freddy laughed then kicked at him numerously. Michael caught his foot, dragging Freddy to the floor as he stood up before stomping his own boot into the phantom's head until it cracked under the pressure. He finally stopped and watched the supposed corpse, waiting for it to get up again while he tilted his head.

Charli had felt compelled to watch, wanting to see Freddy stopped at this point, even if this new character she just met intended to kill her. Satisfied, Michael turned away, knife at his side. Charli stepped back as he approached her with purpose, but it wasn't because of him. Noticing this, he turned to find Freddy's body standing and flailing its arms, the skull completely crushed. It steadied its stance, then waved his hand in front of him once, his head transitioning back to normal.

"_Sticks and stones, Michael...but __**nothing**__ will ever kill me."_

While he laughed, he sent Michael flying again, raising his claws then back down as the masked one crashed into the ceiling, slamming into the floor afterwards. From what Charli could tell, Michael was starting to slow down, as he was still on the floor, shaking his head and struggling to his feet. As he stood, Freddy thrust his claws into his chest, wiggling them around to incapacitate his foe as Michael gripped at the wrist in pain, going down on his knees. Charli stood there at a loss. Part of her felt pity for Michael. She had seen something in the confusion of his eyes earlier. Logic would dictate she let the man die at Freddy's hands. After all, he made his intentions known the second he raised that knife.

Speaking of the knife, she glanced at where Michael had dropped it after Freddy stabbed him. She swallowed then ran towards it, practically diving for it. Freddy watched in shock before she drove the knife into Freddy's gloved arm, emitting a yelp of pain. Hissing, he glared at the girl before back handing her, making her spin and then disappear out of the realm entirely. He would deal with her later, he mused bitterly. He felt another sting as Michael grabbed the knife, pulling it out of his arm and thrusting it into Freddy's chest. This forced the phantom to pull the glove out of the masked man, which resulted in him also disappearing. He yelled out, cursing aloud. With a gross sounding yank, the knife was out of his chest, dropping it to the floor. Of all the people, he never expected to see Michael Myers in his neck of the woods. The question was, how did he get here?

* * *

Charli bolted upright in bed, panting some as she touched her face where Freddy had struck her. There was a dull pain all over her body, making her stiffen. Whimpering, she lied back down, but refused to go back to sleep. If this was what happened every time she risked sleeping, she'd rather be an insomniac. Rigidly, she rolled out of bed and sauntered downstairs, gripping the railing tightly before heading into the kitchen and searching the cupboards, finding the canister of instant coffee. If Freddy wanted to use her, she'd fight sleep for as long as she could. The bastard would have to work for his meal.

Meanwhile, all the way in Northern Illinois, a man had woken up with violent coughs, having rolled out of his bed in the darkness of an underground passage. With surprisingly steady hands, he reached out for a set of matches, lighting the wick of a nearby candle to take a better look at the damage. Dropping the matchbox, he saw blood stain his jumpsuit with a few holes in his chest and shoulder. Michael unzipped the suit, pulling off one shoulder to gauge the severity of the wounds. Had he been a normal man, such wounds might have killed him. But he had suffered many scars being shot with slugs, so in comparison, this was nothing. It would heal, he decided, pulling the fabric back up.

For the first time in eight years, the voices that he thought had been silenced had begun to stir again. They were urging him to find that man. They never said why, they never did, he just simply obeyed, getting up and walking over to see his empty mask, aged with time, lying on the table flatly with his trusted knife beside it. Picking it up, he fingered the mask delicately, looking at its face before slipping it over his head then picking up the kitchen knife. The only clues he had was that the man had mentioned Springwood, and that girl he called Charlotte. His thoughts lingered briefly on the girl. It bothered him to know he had hesitated in killing her. Michael didn't know her in the slightest. If he did kill her...he would feel nothing about her death. He never did, even when he killed his sisters.

* * *

**A/N:** Yay, Michael Myers is here! I know a lot of people disliked Rob Zombie's remake, but I personally liked it. It was the second one I disliked (though I thought the beginning was awesome, paying homage to the original second movie). As I said before, this is a mash-up story, so it'll contain elements from both the original movies and the remakes. In Michael Myers' case, I wanted him to have the appearance he had in the first Zombie movie. Before any of you ask where Jason is, he's not going to appear for awhile. Also, I unfortunately have no blooper to give you all today. If I think of one, I'll add it in the next chapter.


	5. Those Who Watch

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER V – **_**Those Who Watch**_

* * *

Charli had left early that morning, wanting to avoid the questioning her parents would likely have if she was found at the table drinking coffee, something she was never known to do. She had left a note before deciding to wander the streets so early in the morning, if only to get some fresh air to wake her up. Her hair was still a mess, and she had just thrown on the first set of clothes she laid eyes on, not the least bit concerned about her appearance. Though she had plans to go shopping this morning with Eva, she wasn't sure she was even up to it.

Why would she have a dream where Michael Myers was present? Was it because she read about him? Still, it felt as though he was really there, and anything that happens in Freddy's world, happened in the real world. Her sore body was a testament to that. Not only that, but why did she help him in those final moments before waking up? Was she so desperate to be free of Freddy that she would have sided with someone who would be just as willing to kill her? Her thoughts were interrupted as she passed by a house with an old man sitting in the front yard in his lawn chair, just...staring at her. What was with people and staring?

He spoke suddenly, startling her as he called out to her, "You look as though you're haunted by ghosts." She stopped, watching and listening, jostled by his words. "_He_ is always watching you, especially when you sleep." Part of her wondered if the elderly man knew about Freddy, or if he was referring to the man upstairs. "Always watching," he repeated, muttering to himself. "This town has already bathed its hands in blood. Just as he did with the blood of the lamb. They'll erase him and pretend he doesn't exist, but he'll find a way. He always does."

Alarmed by this, Charli stepped up to the fence of his yard. "You know about him," she said, almost accusing. "About Freddy—"

He shushed her harshly. "We don't speak his name." She just stared at him. "It don't matter what you and they do. You're doomed. Doomed!" he said dramatically, though his eyes looked manic and serious.

She would have laughed at the ridiculous way he said _doomed_, but considering the seriousness of the situation she was in, her face remained straight. Still, this old man made her uncomfortable and she quickly walked away. Great, she was dealing with boogeymen and crazy old folks. Just what she needed. As she walked away, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, pulling it out to answer.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, did I wake you?"_ Eva asked on the other end.

"No. I've been awake for a couple of hours."

There was a pause. _"Freddymares?"_

Charli also paused in turn. "It's a little more complicated than that."

"_I'll be right over,"_ her friend declared.

"No, I'm not home. I'm kind of just wandering around right now."

_"Where are you?"_

Eva had given Charli her address and when she found the location, she found the house...cute, as it was pretty small with a cottage-like look to it. She walked to the front door and before she could ring the doorbell, the door swung open and Eva grabbed Charli, pulling her inside and quietly closing the door. When she was about to ask what the big deal was, Eva simply put a finger to her naked lips and tip-toed her way through the house to the basement while followed quietly by the brunette. Unlike the pretty cozy-home quality the rest of the house she briefly saw, the basement was like a dark equivalent of her own room in the attic. While hers was dim, colourful and earthy, Eva's was dark and creepy. Charli looked around at posters of various industrial rock and synthpunk bands, as well as interesting knick knacks that she half expected a witch to own.

"Sorry," Eva said, explaining, "my dad's sleeping right now." She sat on her small bed, patting beside her. When Charli joined her, she asked, "What happened?"

Rather than go through all the details, she went straight to the point. "I met Michael Myers."

Eva's eyes widened like saucers, her mouth dropping. "You're joking, right?" Charli shook her head. "That can't be right! As far as I know, his MO has nothing to do with dreams."

"Well, he was as real as Freddy," Charli argued. "At the end of the day, I'm sure I'll have the bruises to prove it."

"Okay, okay. Even if he was there, why?"

"I don't know," the brunette admitted. "Freddy wasn't even there at first. Everything was different in the beginning until Freddy finally showed up." She paused. "Oddly enough, if he hadn't I probably wouldn't be here right now."

Eva exhaled in disbelief. "Jesus. Of all the people to show up in your dreams." They sat there in silence. Suddenly she stood, going over to her expansive desktop setup with three widescreen monitors, surround sound and a large tower, she sat at the glass desk and opened up her browser to look up something. Perplexed, Charli got up and stood behind her, watching her friend type in _lucid dreaming_. She sat down on a purple suede footstool as she watched. This went on for about half an hour before they found something that caught both of their attention.

"Apparently, if one is a strong enough psychic, and they're capable of lucid dreaming, they can pull others into their dreams," Eva explained. "You have some ESP, so...maybe you subconsciously brought him in."

"I don't even know if I'm capable of lucid dreaming," Charli said.

"Well, you were aware of being in a dream, right?"

"Yes, but I had no degree of control over it," Charli impatiently pointed out.

"You could control your own actions."

Perhaps when Freddy wasn't exerting his own control to pin her, rendering her immobile. Sighing, Charli moved on. "So, even if I met the prerequisites to pull someone into my dream, it doesn't explain why I would pull Myers in there." In all honesty, another serial killer would be the last person she'd want to bring into her dream.

"Sometimes it's subconscious," Eva stated. "Just thinking about someone can result in their appearance. It's like the ironic process theory."

Charli stopped in her tracks, only realizing now that she had been pacing. "What is that?"

Eva spun around in her chair to face her properly, pressing her fingers together as she explained, "Well, basically the idea is this. I tell you not to think of elephants. What do you do?"

Understanding, she answered, "I think of elephants."

"Exactly. What were you doing before you went to sleep?"

"I was reading the scrapbook then trying to look up Freddy on the internet." Realization suddenly dawned on her. "Oh shit. What if I bring other killers into my dreams?! The next time I fall asleep, I'll wake up dead!" she stated in a panic, putting hands on her head, messing up her hair more, pacing again.

Eva stood up, grabbing her friend's shoulders. "Calm down." Seeing her manic state, she shook her head. "We have to get your mind off of the book. I'll come and get it later so you don't look at it anymore, but right now, I'm gonna get ready and we'll go into town, okay?" Charli nodded, swallowing thickly.

It was nearly nine by the time they both walked into town. By now, Eva had helped Charli fix her hair at the least. The shops were just beginning to open and people were doing their morning shopping. The first place Eva dragged her to was to a little coffee shop to get some breakfast. After they ate, Charli followed her friend to a media store that sold music and movies, as well as a small collection of the latest video games. Eva watched as Charli distracted herself listening to _Basement Alchemy _at the music kiosk, smiling as the raven-haired girl felt successful in her mission. She looked at her phone, considering taking the moment to contact the guys to let them know what had happened, but she didn't want to deal with Logan berating her for lending the book to Charli. As for Nick, well, she knew the guy probably had a small crush on Charli, and his worrying would probably just serve to piss off Charli more than anything, while simultaneously reminding the poor girl of what she was trying to forget.

As they made a couple of purchases, Charli spoke, "Thanks for paying. I'll pay you back next time I see you."

"It's no problem, hun. Besides, you'll ace the interview tomorrow if you don't get hired on the spot."

Charli had completely forgotten about that. "Since we're out, you should show me where that is so I know where to go."

Walking through town, Eva eventually stopped before a store that looked woodsy on the front for aesthetic reasons. Both waltzing in, Charli's eyes widened in awe at the amount of crazy stuff that was in here. It was no wonder Eva worked here. There were oriental items, decorative weapons, Native-American themed objects, fantasy figurines, and so much more. Eva grinned at her reaction, nearly laughing before letting Charli explore while her boss came out through a beaded curtain in the back. Charli looked over seeing a slightly burly woman in her late thirties with a pretty face and light skin, her light brown hair in a messy bun and hazel eyes and wearing an off-white tunic dress with coloured beads that actually flattered her. Charli was suddenly shaken when their eyes met, unable to explain the feeling she had.

"Hey Diana," Eva greeted casually.

"Good morning Evangeline. Shopping?" she asked, her voice fluid like water and soft as a breeze.

"Yep. This is Charli," she replied, draping an arm over her friend's shoulders. "The one I mentioned to you before."

"Oh!" A soft smile curled on her bronzed lips. "Eva tells me you're looking for a job?"

Suddenly feeling put on the spot, Charli stammered out in embarrassment, "Y-yes, ma'am."

Diana laughed. "Just call me Diana. If you want the job, as a formality, just come in tomorrow for an interview. Not many kids apply here."

"Why? This place looks amazing!" Charli exclaimed.

"Well, my staff is usually full and I have about three to four. More around the holidays," she explained then placed her hands together. "Well, take a look around. Might as well familiarize yourself with the merchandise."

That wouldn't be hard, Charli inwardly swooned. This place was like a treasure trove. Eva snickered, leaving her to it before going up to Diane, whispering only loud enough for her to hear, "I need to get a book or two for her. Could you order them in?"

Sensing her urgency, Diana replied quietly, "Of course. Which books are you thinking of?" After a brief chat, Diana nodded and looked over at the brunette who was browsing the candles. Walking over, she said gently, "If you're interested in candles, I suggest these." She pulled down a white candle and silver candle. "Somehow I think you'll need these," she stated, handing them over. "Depending on the candle, they can serve as protection or even conductors of your own strengths, enhancing them."

Charli looked at the candles in confusion. "I left my money at home," she said sadly, about to return them.

"Hey, Charli!" Eva called out. "I'll buy them, so don't worry about it."

"You can't buy everything for me, Eva!"

"No sweat, hun! I'm still buying your costume today."

Unable to argue with her for now, Charli smiled wryly at Diana before Eva bought the candles and they left. Something about that woman, Charli started to think. But she didn't have the time to ponder over it as they walked into a party store where all the costumes were being sold. Since it was still early in the month, not many people were rushing to buy the trendiest outfit just yet. The two of them pondered their options, Eva grinning more during her scrutiny, but Charli wasn't all that psyched about finding a costume.

"Hey, what do you think?" Eva asked, holding a dark nurse's outfit in front of herself.

Charli smirked. "It suits you, but isn't the point of Halloween to be scary?"

"It _is_ scary!" she protested with a pout. "Well, screw you then. I'm wearing it anyway." Charli chuckled as Eva draped the outfit over her arm. "Now we just gotta find you something."

"I don't know if I'm up to the whole Halloween thing."

"Hey, I told you. This is your last year as a high-schooler to let go. Now, let's see... You could go as a sexy skeleton," she suggested.

Charli went rigid. "No," she said flatly.

"Why not?"

"I used to be called Charli _Bones_ because of how white and skinny I am."

"Oh," Eva said lamely. "Sorry." Charli only shook her head. "Okay, well, how about...OH MY GOD." She pulled out a cat girl outfit, grinning from ear to ear. "You would be _so_ cute. Guys go gaga for pretty kitties."

Charli couldn't help rolling her eyes. "I said I wasn't interested in picking up guys." Regardless, she grabbed the bagged outfit, looking it over. "It seems modest enough."

"Oh my god, you shouldn't care what people think about your body whether your fat, skinny, or in between. Be proud of it, woman." She grabbed it back. "Besides, I'm going to modify it just enough to really make you stand out."

"But I don't want to stand out!"

"Too bad! I'm buying it!"

"Then _you _wear it!"

* * *

Three weeks had flown by like nothing. Michael watched as children were sent home after the final school bell. It was the day before Halloween, his holiday. His turf. This wasn't the school, he realized. The kids were too young for that girl to attend here. Anybody who spotted him never gave him a second thought, thinking he was just someone eager for Halloween, wearing his costume a day early. Since he did not know the town, it was difficult finding his way around, but he had never gone down the same street twice in a row, memorizing where everything was. Surely he was not far from the secondary school now. Eventually he found the intended building but was disappointed to learn that school had already ended by this point. It would make things more troublesome in finding her. He had all night though. He kept walking until he heard a group of boys walking past him, chatting away carelessly.

"You guys going to the rave tomorrow?"

"Hell yeah! I already missed it last year."

"I thought your parents grounded you."

"They did, but that doesn't mean I won't go."

"I hope you're not gonna be lame and use the pillows under the sheet thing to trick 'em."

A rave, Michael mused. Perhaps she would show up there. He had been out of Smith's Grove long enough to learn the new ins and outs of the world, and a rave was just another word to him for party. Whoever this Charlotte was, she would lead him to that creature that had been more than a match for himself. Once he found him, he would ease the voice that had been taunting him for weeks, hoping it would be awhile before it stirred up again. His wrist itched on his right arm, and he went to scratch it, staring at a Thurisaz tattoo he had ever since he could remember. He couldn't even recall where it came from.

As he dropped his arm, he spotted someone familiar. As though excitement had overcome him, he quickly strolled across the street and through a short alley to another street of shops. A dark brunette walked into a shop called _Harvest Moon_ while he watched, instantly recognizing the young girl as Charlotte. The subtle sound of a bell reached his ears as the door opened then closed, obscuring his line of sight on the teen. He risked coming closer, standing beside a car on the opposite side of the street from the shop, hiding only two thirds of his massive stature.

A young man walked by, staring at him. "That's a sick mask, man." Michael barely acknowledged him, staring at the boy. Unnerved the guy said, "Pretty creepy, too."

Michael watched as he sauntered off quickly before returning his attention to the shop window. The window display was so thickly decorated with items, that he couldn't see well enough past them to get a decent look at the girl. Giving up for the moment, he went back to the alley to wait until she came out.

* * *

Charli had already been working at the shop for nearly three weeks. Of all the part time jobs, she didn't expect to find one so interesting. When she told her parents about it and how she would be working Friday nights and Saturday mornings to start, they seemed pleased. Not only that, but Diana was very nice. Thanks to her ultra-perception, she absorbed the training she had been given within a couple of days, which Diana noted with interest. The job was quiet, Charli only getting about ten customers a shift at most on Fridays, three times as many on her Saturday morning shifts. Thanks to this job, she'd been able to pay Eva back and could afford her own outings without the subconscious guilt of spending the inheritance Faye had left her family.

Some believed Halloween was the night that spirits returned to the earth plane. Part of her wanted to believe it, so she had asked Diana for her thoughts on recalling the spirits of loved ones. She had suggested runes, pointing to the various sacks in their merchandise. In the end, Charlotte had chosen a sack of smooth stones. Even if she felt ridiculous buying a set, it made her somewhat feel better at the idea of possibly communicating with her grandmother. It was a bit stretched, but maybe she'd learn a thing or two about Freddy.

She was studying a small manual at the counter when she heard the front door's bell chime. Charli looked up, surprised to see Logan. "Hey," she greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to check on you." He looked around with some mild interest though his eyes brightened a little at some of the weapons, making Charli smirk. "Thought I'd come bug you." He looked at the book she was reading, arching a brow. "_Rune Casting_? I thought you were just as sceptical as me." His face sobered some. "That guy still attacking you?" he asked on a low whisper.

Charli shook her head. "No. I haven't seen him for three weeks."

"Three?" he repeated as though this was news. "You didn't say anything about it."

Charli cursed, having forgotten to mention it to Logan and Nick. "Sorry, after I told Eva, I naturally assumed she would have passed it along."

Logan's jaw ground a little, annoyed with this news. He'd be having a talk with Evangeline later. "Yeah, I can only guess it's difficult enough as it is to talk about it even once." There was an awkward silence as he leaned on the counter opposite her. "So, what are those for?"

Glad for the change of subject, she replied, "I was hoping to talk to my grandmother. I know, it's stupid."

"No," he denied with a small shake of his head. "You were really close to her, weren't you?" She nodded, remaining silent. "Well, show me what you've learned so far," he encouraged with some interest.

Smirking, she stuck her hand in her purple velvet bag, feeling around through the stones eventually drawing one out. Placing it in front of her, hand covering it, she lifted her hand to see the symbol carved in. She looked through her book, flipping a couple pages before finding the right one. She frowned as he waited for the result.

She read aloud, "_Thorn, or Thurisaz, is the symbol of Loki, the Norse god of mischief, synonymous with the hammer of Thor. It represents conflict and negative change, as well as demons, trolls, giants, and male power. When reversed, this can indicate unfavourable situations._" Scoffing, she said, "Great..." With a shake of her head, she put the rune back. "I probably did it wrong."

Logan said nothing for a moment. As she put aside the small sack and supposed manual, he asked, "You hear about that rave tomorrow night?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "Eva's dragging me there. I'll be going after I take out my sister for her trick or treating. Why, you going?"

"Naturally. Like I'm going to pass on free alcohol," he replied with an endearing smirk. "Picked a costume?"

"Yeah, I'm apparently going as a cat. As far as I know, Eva probably mutilated the thing, trying to make it _sexier_," she replied, gesturing with citations. This raised his brows a little. "What?"

"Well, no guy can really say no to a cat," he said with a playful grin, earning a slight punch to the arm. "Ow!"

"Don't be a baby. That was barely a tap." She sighed, unable to help the smile. "You dressing up?"

He shook his head. "Halloween isn't really my thing. I'm not much for the social events and dressing up."

"But you're going to a rave," she pointed out, confused.

"Free alcohol," he repeated.

"They might not give you any for being a party pooper," she said with a knowing smirk.

He gave pause then cursed. Knowing people these days, that's exactly what would have happened if he showed up without a costume. "Well, hell, I've got nothing to wear."

"Comb back your hair, put on some white make up and fake blood, wear a set of vampire teeth, and maybe you can pass off as a Lost Boy," she suggested.

He blinked. "Well then. That might actually work. For someone who doesn't get to celebrate Halloween often, you sure seem good at coming up with ideas."

She smiled. "I have a little sister who _does_ go out, and my parents always have lame ideas."

"Isn't she only, like, five?"

"She's been going out since she was two. And I did go out once upon a time."

He half-laughed. "Right. Well, I better go. I'll see you tomorrow."

The girl nodded, bidding him goodbye. As he opened the door to leave, Charli frowned, thinking she spotted someone across the street. The door closed with a final chime and she walked around the counter, opening the door again to look across the street. No one was there. Sighing, thinking she had gone crazy, she waltzed back to her station, shaking her head.

* * *

Michael had followed her home. It had been so easy, and she was none the wiser. He followed behind her, hiding behind a hedge or the thick trunk of a tree whenever he risked being spotted by others on the street. Even if they thought nothing of his costume, he couldn't risk being suspected of stalking a girl. No doubt someone would call the police. As she entered her home, he scrutinized the front of the house. A red door, two storeys (not including the attic and perhaps a basement), grey slats, grey stone, white window and door framing, black roof.

The lights were on in the main floor windows, but he noticed after a few moments while standing in the dark that a small attic window with stain glass accents lit up. Then he spotted her in the window, lighting up a couple of candles on the sill then disappearing from sight again. He lowered his gaze, looking at the whole of the house before walking across the street and heading around the back through a tall gate and into a large yard with a garden bed. He peered through a kitchen window behind a rounded tall hedge to see the girl come in and grab food from the fridge. He couldn't even remember what normal food tasted like anymore. Over the last eight years, he had hunted strays and rats for his meals.

As he watched, the teen sat at the table, pulling a few books out of her bag that she had brought in with her, working on her school assignments while eating her late meal. Michael stared, fascinated. Watching how other people lived was something he made a habit of, briefly wondering what it would have been like had he been in their positions. It proved futile, as he could never imagine himself in a lifestyle that some considered normal. After a few minutes of that, he saw someone else walk into the kitchen. A child. They couldn't have been older than he was when he had made his first kill.

Charlotte turned her head to give her attention to the girl. She seemed to have sighed before getting up and picking up the little girl, her tiny arms and legs wrapping around her as Charlotte left the kitchen with her. The girl gone for the moment, he went to the kitchen door, testing the handle, and sure enough the door was locked. He could break in easily if he wanted, but it would have to be later while everyone was asleep.

He spent his time in the backyard with extraordinary patience. The girl had returned to finish her meal, then her homework before cleaning up after herself and packing up her things. When she approached the sink to wash the dishes, he studied her face. There was light baggage under her eyes, like she hadn't been sleeping well. And considering how pale she was, he wondered if she was ill. Despite his assumption, she walked around like there was nothing wrong with her, except for the slight sluggishness of her movements. As soon as she put aside the dishes in a drying rack, she went to a cupboard to pull out a container with instant coffee mix, then a soda out of the fridge. He could barely hear the hiss through the windowpane as she opened the beverage, putting a spoonful of coffee mix in her mouth, downing it with the sugary liquid.

It became clear to him now that she was avoiding sleep. From what he recalled, this Charlotte didn't seem to be on friendly terms with that phantom. She was avoiding him, Michael realized. She had become a prisoner in a dream, much like how he had been when he first met the two. He had been on the verge of killing the girl himself in that realm when a bigger menace had come in uninvited. Michael's instincts had told him his opponent was not like any of his victims. He was just as resistant to injuries as he was, if not more so. In that dreamscape, he had control, he had the power. Not many could stand up to Michael, and for once, he had to label someone as a threat.

Charlotte left the kitchen with her bag, shutting off the light. He was about to try the door again, but realized it was likely rigged with a security system. If he attempted to open the door without a key, it would trigger, possibly alerting the police. He could bypass it if he wanted to, but it wasn't worth the hassle. Leaving it be for now, he left the yard, going into the front to stare up at the window. He still couldn't see her, but it didn't matter. Michael would find her tomorrow night.

* * *

**A/N:** I know nothing about runes and candles and all that shit. This is best guess on subjects I've barely looked up. Besides, I find that the internet carries misleading information a lot of the time. Anyway, next chapter will be more excitement.

**Horror Bloopers:_ Skit 2_**

Michael: *waiting outside watching Charli at work*  
Guy: *walks up, sees Michael with mask and...a yellow Star Trek Original Series uniform* Dude, sick mask!  
Michael: *looks at him*  
Guy: Are you Captain Kirk, or Data? Because the outfit is either wrong, or your mask is.  
Michael: ...


	6. Blood Rave

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER VI – **_**Blood Rave**_

* * *

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Charli said, sitting in Eva's room while her friend styled her hair, giving it more volume and putting in a bit of gold glitter to give it that slight sparkle.

"Relax, you're gonna have a good time. Besides, I'll be there. So will Nick and Logan."

"I figured that already since Logan's going for the free booze," the brunette commented, making Eva snicker.

"Almost done your hair," she said, bouncing her own head side to side a huge volume of black curls, with red piping that cyberpunks wore, having dyed her bangs the same shade of red. "Aaand, done!" she declared, handing Charli a hand mirror.

She looked at herself, surprised by the amount of oomph her dark locks had. It was straighter, sparkly, fluffy and as she touched it, it felt ultra soft. "What did you do to my hair?" she asked in slight awe.

"I'm a hair genius, that's all. Anyway," she started, going to her bed to toss Charli her costume. "Put those on. I guarantee you'll look great. I'm putting mine on now."

Hesitantly, Charli stripped her everyday clothing, standing in nothing but a strapless pink bra and matching boy shorts. She glanced at the main outfit before slipping her legs into the nearly legless romper, slipping the thin straps over her shoulders then zipping up the front, the bodice's hem somewhat heart shaped. Next came the thigh high black socks and the long black slip-on sleeves. It wasn't the complete look yet, but it was a start, she mused, actually feeling somewhat confident in her new appearance.

Eva had already put on a black and red nurse's dress and fishnet stockings before looking at her friend, whistling. "Damn, girl! You hot!"

Charli blushed, giving her light skin some colour. "Shut up."

Once their makeup was finished, Eva had put on dark eye shadow, accentuated her cheekbones with a light bronzing blush, then dyed her lips red. Meanwhile, Charli's was more cat-like, her eyelids looking more pointed with black paint. Her top lip had been done in black, while her bottom was a light shade of pink to make it almost as pale as her skin. The tip of her nose had also been painted black, though she had Eva forgo the whiskers. Next, fake nails were pasted on, Eva, bright red, Charli, pointed white talons. After that was just the remaining accessories. The goth had put on her nurse hat, then her black and red platform heels. Charli had slipped on a belt with a fluffy black tail, then a headband of just as fluffy cat ears. Luckily, Charli already owned a pair of mid-calf black boots she usually wore during the fall anyway. As an added touch, Eva lent her a black collar with a gold tag shaped like a star.

Charli looked at herself in the mirror in slight awe. She looked amazing. Surprisingly, the whole process had only been under two hours. "Wow."

"I know."

Now that she was in this deep, Charli asked, "Where is this rave, anyway? And when's it starting?"

Eva replied casually, "Oh, it started while you were out with your sister. Don't worry, it'll last until the wee hours of the morning."

"What time is it now?"

"Um," Eva started, looking at the clock. "Almost eleven. I'm sure the guys are already there by now."

"Again, where is it?"

Eva didn't answer, but Charli got it anyway when they arrived in a forested area, the heavy drops beating inside her head loudly. She almost covered her ears, but got used to it eventually. Other costumed party-goers were jumping up and down and waving around glow sticks, moving languidly against one another like one giant dance orgy. She couldn't believe how many people were here. She did notice that many were smoking pot and drinking, others making out. It was definitely not her kind of scene. At best, she was an absolute wallflower.

It took a moment for her to realize that Eva had been trying to yell at her. "What?!" she asked, somewhat deaf to her friend.

"We gotta find the guys!" Eva yelled while already bouncing to the heavy beats.

Charli just nodded, not wanting to overwork her voice. They wandered past the crowd for a few minutes until she spotted who she recognized as Logan, having taken her advice on being a Lost Boy. She shook Eva's arm before pointing. "There's Logan!"

Eva bounced over with Charli in tow. As Charli expected, he already had a clear plastic cup in hand. "Logan!" the brunette called out, tapping his arm.

He turned, nearly spitting out his drink as he looked over the girls. "Hey! Wow!" Eva had a confident little grin while Charli couldn't help a small smile. "Okay, I admit it! You both look amazing!"

Eva's grin widened. "Where's Nick?!"

"I don't know, he's around here somewhere!"

Charli looked around the party, the colourful moving lights disorienting her a little. Looking away to right her vision, pushing her glasses back up, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Nick in checkered slacks, suspenders over a colourful striped shirt and a lab coat. At the moment, he had on a white frazzled looking wig while wearing ridiculously large glasses with thick frames that comically magnified his eyes. She almost laughed, grinning at the sight of him.

"You look great," he mouthed, taking off the gag spectacles. She mouthed a thanks in reply before he asked aloud, "Do you wanna dance?!"

After a moment of hesitance, she eventually nodded. Since she was here, she would take Eva's advice and let go for one evening. Nick excitedly took her hand, walking out to the dancing area until they were good and surrounded by the crowd. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, swaying lightly side to side until Eva rolled her eyes watching them before she joined them and started bouncing up and down next to them, moving her arms rhythmically to give them a clue. Both getting the hint, they too started bouncing around, growing more confident until they completely let loose, not caring who was watching.

But there _was_ someone watching. A shape stood in the darkness of the trees, staring out the black voids that were the eye holes of Michael's mask. Not once did his eyes stray from the cat-clad girl, even as a couple overrun with hormones scrambled past him, a girl laughing while her lover chased her. The noise of the music didn't even bother him. It actually seemed to drown out the voice that prodded at him over the last few weeks. Now that he found her, he wasn't sure how to proceed. He knew he had to find that man, or lure him out. Depending on the circumstances, the girl could be decent bait, or a dud.

After awhile, he wandered from his spot, keeping his gaze on Charlotte with a rigidness in his stride, keeping to the shadows with the flashing colours barely touching him. The sound of a moan caught his ears, his head jerking towards the source to find a boy pinning a girl against a tree away from prying eyes, touching her in those hidden places. Michael stepped closer, the crunching leaves masked by the music. Despite that, the girl opened her eyes, noticing Michael, shrieking in reaction.

The boy turned to look at the source of her anxiety, cursing loudly. "Fuck off, man! Can't you see we're busy?!" Michael said nothing, standing there. "You got a fucking hearing problem, asshole?" He started towards Michael. "I told you to fuck—!"

Michael cut him off, catching the youth's neck in his crushing grip before snapping it with one hand, dropping him. The girl screamed, trying to run off while in tears, but the masked man caught her hair, yanking her back, drawing the kitchen knife from his suit, slicing the blade across her throat. He held her as she choked and convulsed on her own blood before finally releasing her, the body falling down limply, life fading from her eyes as she gave one final twitch. He tilted his head in fascination at the way the blood flowed through the leaves, the dirt soaking it up underneath.

Charli was still bouncing around with Eva and Nick until something started to nag at the back of her mind. She stopped, slightly worn out. She stood amongst the jumping crowd, looking around, trying to pinpoint the source of the off-putting feeling. Nothing seemed suspicious at first glance, but the headache she now had would not cease, and she suddenly felt nauseous.

"What's wrong?!" Eva asked her over the music, having stopped her robotic-like dancing.

The brunette shook her head. "Nothing! I'm gonna get a drink!"

"I'll join you," Nick said loudly.

Logan had been right where they left him, slightly buzzed from the alcohol while he sat on a tree stump. He looked up to see Nick and Charli return. "Heeey," he drawled. "Back so soon?"

Nick went to grab a cup and draw some beer from a keg before handing it to Charli. Reluctantly, she took it, sampling it and making a face. She wasn't one for beer, but drank more anyway. She sat next to Logan on the stump while Nick stood before them with his own drink. The guys started chatting away while Charli was lost in her own thoughts, rubbing her temple in hopes of easing the headache. She looked up to see that Eva had found herself a new dance partner, even going so far as to grind together. Well, she did say she wanted to pick up a guy to have premarital sex with. The beer did nothing to quell the pain in her head, and at this point, she just wanted to get away from the noise and flashing lights. She stood, walking off in a slight daze, placing a hand on her forehead. Seeing this, the guys followed her.

"Hey," Logan started, grabbing her shoulder. He nearly recoiled at the coldness of her skin, and he noted that she actually seemed a shade more pale. "What's wrong?"

"My head hurts," she murmured. "I need to get away for a bit."

"I'll stay with you," Nick stated. "No one should be left alone at big events like this."

Though she agreed with his reasoning, she just wanted to be by herself, but her head was in too much pain for her to argue about it. Just nodding, she continued off into the woods, leaning against a tree once she felt she had reached a reasonable distance. Logan had followed them for a bit. Satisfied the pair would be fine, he went back to the clearing to try and find Eva. Spotting her, he marched over, grabbing her arm.

"Hey!" she cried. "What the fuck, Logan?!"

"We need to talk!"

"I'm partying, dammit!"

Ignoring her, he dragged her away from the crowd, pulling her aside far enough for them to talk in private. "Why didn't you tell us that Charli had another attack?!"

"What? What attack?"

"Don't act like you don't know! Three weeks ago, she saw Freddy again, didn't she?"

Realization dawning on her, she put on a look of guilt. "I kind of forgot, okay? I didn't feel like arguing with you, and Charli didn't need Nick hovering over her like an overprotective parent. I wanted her to forget, especially after..." she trailed off.

"After what?" he asked impatiently. She hesitated, looking put on the spot. He sighed, then said, "Tell me."

She swallowed. "It wasn't a standard Freddy attack." His brow wrinkled together in confusion. "She somehow pulled another killer into her dream."

"What?! How in the hell did she do that?!"

"I don't know! I think she's a lucid dreamer, and she was reading my book before bed—!"

"Your _book_?!" he repeated. "How many times do I have to tell you?! You should have never shown her that book!"

"This is _why_ I didn't want to tell _you_!" she exclaimed, throwing up her arms. "I knew you'd react this way! Like it's all _my_ fault!"

He watched her with a scowl then closed his eyes to calm himself down. "Who did she bring in?"

Meanwhile, Charli had long since slid down the tree, closing her eyes as the night air cooled her head. Silently, Nick sat down next to her, moving his mouth side to side awkwardly. He looked over at her, taking off the gag glasses again and pocketing them. Nervously, he opened his mouth, shutting it again.

"Um," he finally managed.

Her eyes fluttered open, turning her head to look at him. "What?" she asked softly.

He opened his mouth again to speak, but all he could do was half-laugh at himself after a long and awkward pause. Eventually, he said on a nervous murmur, "I, um, wanted to say that you really look amazing."

She blinked. "You already said that," she pointed out, "but thank you."

He smiled. "I know, I just felt like saying it again." There was more he wanted to say to her on a personal level, but seeing how she didn't seem well, he figuratively bit his tongue for the time being. "Some party," he said lamely.

She would have scoffed, had their conversation not been interrupted by the sound of leaves crunching nearby. Wildly, her head jerked around, scanning the area. "What the hell was that?" she whispered.

"It was Michael Myers," Eva said after a pause.

Logan stared at her. "Who the hell is—you know what? I don't care. I _don't_ want to know at this point. What happened with the Myers guy, then?"

Eva shook her head. "I don't know. Charli didn't really give me all the details except to say that he attacked her until Freddy showed up. She must have been subconsciously thinking of him from reading the book, so she pulled him into her dream."

He frowned, sighing as he ran his hands down his face with the stress. "Alright, I'm not gonna ask how that's even possible. What I do wanna know is what does that mean? Is he going to come after her?"

Eva didn't have an answer. As she went to open her mouth, her previous dance partner shot up beside them with a big fat, "BOO!" The pair had been startled, looking owlishly at the guy as he laughed at them. "Whoa, you two are jumpy!"

"Jesus fucking Christ, you asshole," Logan cursed angrily.

The guy raised his hands in defence with a lopsided grin. "Calm down, man. It's _Halloween_. Everyone's entitled to one good scare, so loosen up! Hey babe," he started, looking at Eva. "You coming back at all? I'm starting to get cold. I need some..._sexual healing_." To emphasize, he thrust his hips forward in a perverse motion.

"Go fuck yourself, you moron," Eva denounced, disgusted at this point. "Even I have standards."

Put out, the guy straightened up. "Well fine, bitch. You don't know what you're missing. Stingy cunt."

The guy sauntered off and Logan nearly charged after him before Eva grabbed his arm firmly. "Don't, Logan. Let's just go find Charli, okay?" Logan glared after the asshole, breathing heavily through his nose before easing his shoulders and turning the opposite way towards Charli and Nick.

The guy who insulted Eva wandered off a bit away from the clearing, pulling out a joint from one of his costume pockets. Lighting it, he inhaled its effects, almost instantly feeling at ease. There was a rustling behind him, to which he put a puzzled look on his face. Curious, he turned to look at a man in a dark blue jumpsuit and white mask with dark hair. For no reason at all, he snickered, to which Michael tilted his head at.

"Dude, that costume is _weird_. What are you supposed to be?" When Michael didn't answer, he shrugged. "Whatever, man. You wanna hit this?" he asked, holding out the joint for him. Michael looked at it, then stepped forward, taking the joint with curiosity. The boy turned around to face a tree, unzipping his front. "Hope you don't mind, man, but I gotta drain the lizard." Finding the rolled up marijuana uninteresting, he threw it away. Seeing this, the guy started to complain, "Hey, what the fuck, man! You shouldn't waste stuff like that!"

He didn't have long to complain, and before the boy could turn away from the tree, Michael stepped forward, driving the knife into his back, pinning him into the tree. He pulled it out, this time raising the knife and stabbing him in the neck, silencing him. Yanking the blade out, he stepped back, watching the body slide down the trunk slowly, eyes and mouth wide open. After a moment, Michael walked away.

Meanwhile, Charli was looking around frantically for the source of the crunching leaves when she saw Logan and Eva coming their way. She let out a sigh of relief and Nick commented, "You're completely on edge. What's got you so rattled?"

Charli shook her head. "Sorry, I'm just being paranoid."

Eva crouched in front of her. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.

The brunette had no idea. "I just...let's go back. I'm fine. Really."

"Are you?" Logan asked, wanting an honest answer.

"Yeah," she assured them with a sigh. "Let's go back," she repeated, getting up.

On their way back to the clearing, Charli's headache worsened. Then there were a few screams. Her head shot up in alarm, but she saw that it was only a few people chasing around others, trying to scare each other. It took a moment for her to calm her breathing, and her mind went back to the rune she had drawn yesterday. Was it a warning? Inwardly shaking her head, she tried to push the thought into the back of her mind. As she looked around, she spotted something in the midst of the crowd. A white mask...staring at her. She stopped, rooted to the spot, unable to tear her eyes from the one she undoubtedly recognized as Michael Myers.

There was then another scream, but it sounded different. _Felt_ different. Charli and her friends turned to see a couple of girls running out of the thick wood with tear-stricken faces that had ruined their makeup. As the crowd started to pay attention to their hysteria, they cried about finding a couple of dead teens lying about. Other girls approached them to comfort them, but others seemed sceptical, thinking it a Halloween prank. Regardless, a couple of guys wandered into the woods to investigate, only one returning moments later, looking paler than a ghost. Like a zombie, he ambled back before falling forward onto the ground, a knife sticking out of his back.

It turned to chaos in seconds, overwhelming Charli's head with their fear as everyone ran, many screaming in terror. She looked around, seeing that Michael had long since disappeared from where she had seen him last. She was on the verge of tears, the pain in her head nearly crippling. Even her friends looked panicked as everyone rushed back to their vehicles. Michael closely followed, leaving the brush and bending down to retrieve his knife along the way. Eva and Nick urged Charli along as they tried to get to the raven-haired girl's car. Charli whimpered, grabbing her head, slowing her movements. In a hurry, Logan stopped to pick her up, hooking his arms under her.

"Unlock the car!" he demanded as Eva fumbled for the car keys in a panic, unlocking the doors. Nick opened the back door before Logan sat her on the seat, climbing in beside her as the other two climbed in. "Get us out of here!"

Eva practically stabbed the ignition, turning it as the engine roared to life and the headlights turned on. Before she could put it into drive, Charli's window had been smashed in, causing the brunette to scream as a large hand grabbed her. Everyone in the car was either yelling or screaming while Logan tried to keep Charli inside the car, but Michael had already pulled her half way out, securing his hold on her by wrapping an arm around her middle. Charli flailed wildly, kicking and screaming and even attempting to scratch at his hand with her fake nails which came off easily.

"Charli!" both Logan and Nick yelled.

"Oh my god," Eva breathed, terrified for her friend, pulling on a small lever beside her. "Logan! Tire iron in the trunk!"

Practically jumping out of the car, he rushed around to grab the long tool from the trunk, then marched towards Michael. "Let her go you motherfucker!" He swung across Michael's masked face, swinging again, forcing Michael to drop Charli as he staggered somewhat. Charli scrambled to her feet before Logan pulled her behind him, his eyes never leaving Michael, feeling her grip onto his jacket sleeve. "Get in the car!"

She pulled on his jacket some. "C'mon!"

"Just go, dammit!"

Shakily, she reluctantly did as he demanded, whimpering as she opened the door, closing the opposite after she climbed in. "Logan, get in!"

Michael watched the boy with mild interest, stepping forward as Logan stepped back. He could hear his friends yelling at him to get in the car, but he knew he'd regret it the second he turned his back on the giant. Deciding to take his chances in bringing him down, Logan swung again, which Michael dodged, moving slightly to the side and back. He swung a second time, but the masked one simply caught it in his hand, tearing it from Logan's grip and tossing it away. Unarmed, Logan stepped back a few feet, distancing himself from the monster and closing the gap towards the car.

The Shape marched forward, knife at the ready, slashing outwards, Logan jumping back, though the blade had caught his chest, causing a slight gash as he yelled out in surprised pain, tripping and falling on his back as he winced. Michael stood over Logan, thrusting his knife down as the boy teen rolled out of the way. The masked man caught the boy, pulling him over, ready to strike him down before he had been tackled over by Nick. Eva had jumped out of the car while Charli was already trying to lift him up into the back seat, forcibly ignoring her headache.

By now, Michael had thrown Nick off him, the boy rolling away and staring wide-eyed at him, rushing back to his feet to try and get back to the car. Charli looked up in time to see Michael catch up with him easily, catching him by the collar of the lab coat, which Nick had swiftly shed, freeing him and buying himself at least a second. It still wasn't enough, this time caught by his shirt, violently yanked backwards, feet flying out from underneath him, landing harshly on his back with a cough. Michael stood over him like he had Logan, raising his knife.

Something pounced on his back, making him miss his target as his knife stabbed into the earth instead of flesh. As Nick painfully rolled away, trying his best to learn how to breathe again, Michael reached up behind him to try and pull off whatever had imbalanced him. Charli held on, afraid that if she let go, she would undoubtedly die. Though he tried, Michael couldn't get enough of a grip on her to remove her. Deciding on another tactic, he backed up harshly into a nearby tree, earning him a sharp yelp as her head was knocked against the bark, finally relinquishing the killer.

He stepped away, turning to look at her as she slid down, her dark eyes closing, lying there limply. Nick looked up from his spot on the ground at Charli. Not certain whether she was dead or simply unconscious, he feared the worst. Feeling a burst of energy, the young man forced himself to his feet, Michael turning back and tilting his head in interest. Nick weakly ambled over, picking up the iron that had been tossed away before rushing at Michael with a yell. Michael marched towards him in kind, knife at the ready until the sound of sirens reached his ears and he stopped in his tracks. Nick still charged him, so Michael caught the iron again, this time kicking outwards, sending Nick flying back a few feet, landing roughly on his back again as the boy groaned.

Deciding to ignore the lesser targets for now, he turned towards where Charli should have been lying, only to find that Logan had already loaded her into the car despite his injury, his breathing laboured. Eva had rushed to Nick's side, hurriedly helping him up. Having no more time to deal with them as the sirens grew closer, Michael sent them all what might have been a lingering glare before walking off into the thick of the woods. The trio stared into the dark space he had disappeared into before Eva helped Nick into the car just as police vehicles had arrived.

"He's in there!" she yelled out shakily, repeating it over and over as some of the officers ran off into the woods.

Some stayed behind to find the dead bodies while one came up to talk to her, "Are you and your friends alright, miss?"

"N-no we're not bloody alright! My friends are badly hurt! There are people dead, and that guy's on the loose!"

While this officer was stuck trying to calm Eva down, paramedics showed up, taking a look at Nick, Logan and Charli. As Nick was merely winded and bruised, with a couple of broken ribs, he wasn't deemed an emergency. However, Logan had a bleeding chest, and Charli was possibly suffering from a concussion, so it was determined that they be immediately taken to the hospital. After she and Nick gave their statements, Eva immediately drove to the hospital, half-crying during the drive while Nick remained quiet. Though when they got there,they were both forced to wait. It didn't take long before Charli's parents showed up with Gabby wide awake in Claire's arms. Eva listened as they spoke to the receptionist and they were asked to wait. That was when they spotted Eva and Nick. They could have sworn that Mason had been ready to charge them, marching over.

"What the _fuck_ happened?!" he demanded, barely keeping his voice down.

"Mason, please," Claire pleaded, reaching for his arm, which he shrugged her off.

"You two and that other kid stay away from our daughter! You hear me?!" he bellowed.

The doctor came out to retrieve the Baines, and Mason sent the pair one final warning glance before following after the doctor with his wife and child. Nick was silent and Eva was shaking, tears streaming down her face, falling apart in her seat as she eventually broke down into sobs. Nick reached over, painfully pulling her over to lean on his shoulder, resting his head on top of hers, rubbing her back.

* * *

There was the smell of dust and decay, along with a lingering odour of blood. Charli's eyes fluttered open, finding herself on a cushy surface. Slowly, she rose, only to fall back down, suddenly dizzy. There was a chuckle from the doorway of the room, Charli looking over to find the unwelcome sight that was Freddy Krueger. Too tired, even in her dreams, to care there was a killer staring her down, she groaned, rolling to her side, her back to him.

"Go...away," she moaned out in annoyance. "I'm sore, tired, and one step away from being royally pissed off. So I would appreciate a little space." She felt a weight lean down on the bed behind her. "What did I just say?" she asked monotonously.

"_You forget who's in charge, piglet,"_ he said, pulling on her shoulder, forcing her on her back. He angled his head, looking her over. _"Though, perhaps _Kitten_ is more appropriate, given your...apparel."_ She watched him, her eyes full of exhaustion at this point. _"Tell me, Charlotte,"_ he started, running a claw along the zipper of her romper, _"have you ever played Skin the Cat?"_

* * *

**A/N:** As usual, Freddy takes his puns literally. As do I, as reusing that line was the exact reason I made her a cat for Halloween. More excitement next chapter. Don't forget to leave a review. Until next Thurs/Friday! Thanks for reading!

**Horror Bloopers: _Skit 3_**

Freddy: Have you ever played _Skin the Cat_? *perverse grin*  
Charli: *epic Grumpy Cat frown*  
Freddy: *leans forward*  
Charli: *holds him off with her boot on his face* NO.  
Freddy: *rejected*


	7. The Deal

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER VII – **_**The Deal**_

* * *

There was an unsettling staring contest going on between Freddy and Charli as soon as the words left Freddy's mouth. Was he...hitting on her? Frowning, the girl finally summoned up the strength to sit up while sliding back, away from his lingering claws on her outfit's zipper. Arms wrapped around her legs, keeping her knees close to her chest as Freddy watched in smug amusement. This was weird, she thought. Was this monster acting, dare she think, _normal_? He was being all casual tonight, and it made her more suspicious of him, eyes watching him unblinkingly.

He tilted his head with curiosity. _"What's the matter, Charlotte? Do I make you uncomfortable?"_ If looks could kill, he could have sworn she would have succeeded with that stabbing glare she wore. _"Ooh, __**scary**__!" _he said with a shiver, laughing afterwards.

"What do you want?" she muttered impatiently.

Straight to business it seems. He smirked, addressing her, _"We never finished our talk. And by the way," _he began, flicking his claws, the iron bars of the bed coming to life. Charli shrieked as they wrapped around her wrists and ankles, pulling her spread-eagle on the mattress as he stood up to watch.

"What the hell?!"

_"Don't think I forgot your little stunt that night, bitch!"_ he bellowed, referring to her stabbing him as he pointed his claws at her. _"I intend to make good on your punishment for that!"_

"Then why won't you fucking kill me?!" she spat.

He chortled some with that dark tone, waving his claw in that no-no way. _"That would be too easy for you, little Charlotte."_ He sat on the bed again, running the tip of a blade along the front of her outfit, barely touching the fabric. _"The truth is...I need you, Charlotte."_ She tensed at both his words and the way his claws scarcely touched the skin of her chest. _"I also have a theory I'd like to test."_

"A theory?" she whispered.

A small smile curled his charred lips. _"But first, to finish our discussion Myers had so rudely interrupted. I told you before that they found a way to keep me out of their heads."_

"You keep saying _they_. Who the hell is _they_?"

_"Springwood,"_ was all he said, letting it sink in.

Charli briefly remembered the old man's words and asked softly, "How did you die, Freddy?"

Another chuckle sounded from him as he grazed her bottom lip with a claw. _"They __**burned**__ me."_ A shiver ran through her, having suspected as much, judging by his scarred skin. _"The parents of Springwood turned me into something much worse. The kind of stuff nightmares are made of,"_ he said with a grin which sobered after a moment. _"One by one, I killed their children, feeding off their fear. And the best part? Even if they saw me and lived, their parents never believed them. Their ignorance and denial became _my_ weapon. In the end, it was _they_ who killed their children."  
_

"And my dad?" she asked hesitantly. "Were you going to kill him too?"

She got her answer the second his perverse smile plastered itself on his visage. _"Oh...he's a special case. I'll even tell you a little secret; he's been at the top of my list since that little bastard was born."_ Another chill went through her. So, he intended to kill her father, but why? Sensing her thoughts, he grinned toothily. _"Now _that's_ a bedtime story for another time. But first, I'm going to have you help me."_

Warily, she asked, "Help you with what, exactly?"

_"I know how they've kept me out all these years. It's very rare for someone to enter this place nowadays, and it's a wonder how you're resistant to it, even though you've been ingesting it this entire time."_

There was a long pause as Charli took this in. Slowly, she asked, "Ingesting what?"

_"Hypnocil,"_ he replied. _"They poisoned the town's water supply with it, and even mixed it in with the local foods. I can barely touch anyone who has a natural resistance to drugs. But you,"_ he rasped, hovering over her as he moved up, taking in her scent of sweat, fear, and to add to the sweetness, a slight floral scent, likely from the bath products she used. _"You're completely immune."_

"What the hell is _Hypnocil_?"

He smiled. _"Well, I'd tell you, but I'm sure you'll—how do the kids say it nowadays? Ah, yes—google that shit."_ Charli made a face of disapproval and he laughed. _"What? Is it wrong? Or am I out of date already?"_ Not bothering to wait for her answer, he continued. _"I'm going to take advantage of your immunity,"_ he declared, Charli's eyes widening. _"Oh, yes. Consider this your punishment...for now. I know all about your little lucid dreaming skill."_

_Shit_, was the only word that came to mind the moment he said it. "No. Fucking. Way. I get it now. You want me to pull someone in for you to kill!" she declared.

_"The souls you bring me are not going to be anyone in Springwood. No, you'll be bringing in those from outside."_

Her eyes narrowed. He said it as though it was supposed to alleviate her worries. "Why?"

_"You'll come to understand why soon enough."_

Defiantly, she professed, "I'm not helping you."

_"No?"_ Her insubordinate expression remained. The man chuckled some, giving her credit for her rebellion. _"I guarantee you, Charlotte...I can be __**very**__ persuasive."_ There was now doubt in her eyes, laced with her defiance. His claws flirted with the thin straps of her getup, as though he toyed with the idea of cutting them. It wouldn't leave her topless, but she'd be forced to hold up the one-piece if she stood. _"I wonder if that little tyke inherited the same immunity as you."_

Immediately, the teen knew who he spoke of, eyes widening. "No..." He grinned, eyes menacing. She glowered at him, voicing her sentiment slowly and firmly, "If you so much as go near her, I'll—"

_"You'll what? _Kill_ me?"_ He laughed. _"Sorry to tell you, babe, but I can't die."_

"No." His laughter stopped, listening. "I'll bring Michael back in here. I'm sure he'd like the pleasure of deal with you himself."

Freddy had a feeling Myers already intended as much. _"Why do you think he came after you, little girl?"_ She didn't reply. _"And don't make half-cocked threats. Even if you brought him in here, in the end, I'll kill him, just like how I plan to kill your sweet, little, baby sister, and all your little friends too."_ Uncertainty and fear dulled the defiance in her eyes, he noted with pleasure. _"Unless,"_ he began, stroking down her face with the side of his claw, _"you obey my demands. You bring me the souls I need, and I won't touch your sister or your rat pack."_ He let the conditions sink in for a moment before asking, _"Do we have a deal?"_

* * *

The sound of beeping met her ears, and it was incredibly bright as the teen opened her eyes. After she adjusted to the light, she looked around groggily. She could still feel the headache, the pain of her head injury only adding to it. How hard did she hit her head? As she tried to sit up, she instantly felt dizzy and fell back with a wince. She heard voices outside her room and she instantly closed her eyes, not wanting to deal with trying to talk coherently.

"It's a concussion," she heard the doctor say as he and her parents came in. "She may have some memory loss and experience dizziness. I can't say for certain at first glance how extensive the damage is, so I may have to put her through an MRI. She'll have to stay here overnight. After which, she should remain at home for a few days. I'll need to check on her within a couple of days to see if she can return to school and her job."

"Is she going to be alright?" her mother asked worriedly.

"Physically, she'll live, but as I've said, she's suffered head trauma."

Meanwhile, Gabby had been put down, the girl having gone up to Charli's bed. Charli felt her hand being grazed by a tinier one trying to reach her. Knowing the bed was probably too high for her baby sister, and needing reassurance after her talk with Freddy, the teen silently reached over to grasp the girl's hand, squeezing gently. Gabby inaudibly gasped, holding onto Charli with both hands while touching her cheek to it, hiccoughing as tears silently trailed down her cheeks. Feeling the wetness on her hand, Charli sensed Gabby's relief, happiness, and receding fear, nearly brought to the verge of tears herself.

The adults in the room finally noticed the small emotional display and Claire suddenly sobbed out, waltzing to the side of the bed beside Gabby, leaning over Charli. "Oh thank god! Charlotte! We were so terrified!"

Charli relented, dropping the sleeping facade, opening her eyes. "I'm fine, mom."

"Good, you're awake," the doctor noted, pleased to see that Charli recognized her own mother. "Now, I have to ask you a few standard questions. Do you know who you are?"

"Charli Baines."

"Do you know who the President is?"

She thought for a moment. "Obama?"

He nodded, more pleased. "Well, from what I can tell, you show no signs of memory loss. But we'll have to have some tests to be sure."

"Fine, whatever," she replied dismissively, not caring. Then suddenly, as though she had been slapped in the face, she bolted upright. "Where are my friends?! Where are they?!" Part of her was suddenly hysterical, thinking they could have been killed after she lost consciousness, instantly forgetting her conversation with Freddy where her friends was concerned.

The doctor raised his hands. "Not to worry, your friends are fine. Mr. Williams—Logan, was it?—got a gash across their chest, but it wasn't deep enough to be fatal. I believe your other friends, Miss Daly and Mr. Barton are waiting in reception."

A great relief washed over her. "I want to see them," she demanded.

"You're not seeing them anymore," Mason suddenly announced, Charli finally consciously aware of his presence. "You shouldn't have been out in those woods at that party. Those kids you call friends irresponsibly brought you out to a dangerous area. You know what they do at parties like that?!"

"Mason, please," Claire pleaded. "She's dealt with more than enough tonight."

"Mr. Baines, your daughter needs some rest. It might be better if you come back tomorrow. I have some more things to discuss with you both. If you please," the practitioner proffered, gesturing to the door.

Claire reluctantly looked at Charlotte, whispering. "We'll be right back." Charli nodded before Claire looked at Gabby. "Gabrielle, stay with you sister."

"Yes, mommy," the girl mumbled, still attached to her sister's hand.

Charli bitterly watched her father as he left, her face softening once the siblings were alone. She looked down at her sister, who looked back up at her, and with a weak smile, she ignored her pain long enough to lean over and pick her up, bringing her up into the bed before lying down with her. Wordlessly, Gabby latched herself onto her neck, burying her small face in Charli's chest. The teen soothed the child, rubbing her back while she closed her eyes, just enjoying the silence. There was no Michael, and no Freddy. Just her and her sister. She would continue to see her friends, whether her father liked it or not. For the moment though, she made a mental note to find them later. Her parents returned moments later, making sure Charli was alright before they went home with a sleeping Gabby.

Once alone again, Charli attempted to sleep, figuring Freddy would leave her alone for the time being, achieving a deep slumber. An hour had passed, and she lied there, unaware of the danger that had slipped into her room. A shape stood at the foot of her bed, simply watching her. It had been so easy for Michael, using the forest to his advantage, eluding the authorities that were no doubt still searching the woods for a sign of him. He was not known to linger in a single place for too long, the exception being his home turf.

A whimper emitted from the girl, her brows wrinkled together. The masked killer watched and listened, angling his head, then walking around the bed to her left, his figure silhouetted by the dim lighting of street lamps in the parking lot by the hospital, pouring in through the window. This created a shadow, looming over her as he stood there, knife resting at his side in his hand. Slowly, he reached out with an empty hand, barely grazing the skin of her arm, moving up until his fingers touched the sleeve of the hospital robe. He changed the placement, touching her face now, much like how she had done him, recalling the moment with vivid detail.

His hand recoiled as she stirred in her sleep, readjusting herself in bed. Michael stood there for what seemed like an eternity until hearing footsteps. He stepped away, hiding in the shadows as a nurse on graveyard shift came in to check on Charlotte. Satisfied that everything was in order, she left without noticing the white mask hidden in the corner. Deciding he had more work to do, Michael took one final look at Charlotte, then left the room entirely, traversing the empty halls.

Quietly, he entered a different room where Logan was sleeping. Intending to finish what he started earlier that same evening, the knife rose above the bandaged patient, but it stilled before he could make the final strike. Something told him to spare the boy. With Charlotte's friends alive, she may be more cooperative, maybe even willing, to bring him that man. _Find him_, the voice had told Michael. He didn't understand why, but he obeyed their will, lowering the knife. Glowering at the boy one last time, he left the room, then the hospital, disappearing.

Morning came, the glaring light shining in through the window. When it reached her face, Charli's eye squeezed before opening, turning her head away from the light. It took a moment for her to realize that a radio was on in her room. The volume had been turned low to not disturb her and she initially figured one of the nurses had brought it in to relax her. Looking in the corner, she saw that was not the case, finding Eva sleeping in one of the chairs, a stereo on the table next to her. Charli sat up, the pain in her head barely noticeable.

"Eva," she called out softly. The girl stirred, readjusting her cheek on her raised fist. "Eva," Charli called out a little louder.

Finally roused by her calls, Eva's eyes blinked open, raising her head, blinking blearily at Charli. Realizing her friend was awake now, the dark teen was instantly wide awake. "Charli!" She stood, practically running over. "Oh my god, I was so afraid! Are you okay?"

Charli nearly fell over with the hug Eva delivered, held firmly in the girl's arms. "I'm okay, I think. How are you? How are the guys?"

Eva sat on the edge of the bed after releasing her. "We're all okay. Logan had to get sewn up for that cut on his chest, and Nick's got a couple of broken ribs. Me, I was just scared. Mostly I was scared for you and Logan. And when I saw you just lying there, I was afraid that he'd..." Eva stopped, wiping her nose, worrying her bottom lip.

"Just head trauma. Possible concussion, and a lot of bruising," Charli reassured her again. "I'm just glad you're all alive."

"Who was that guy anyway?" Eva asked.

Charli blinked then recalled there was no photos of Michael Myers in the articles the book contained, merely a few police sketches. "It was Michael Myers."

The girl's eyes widened. "What?! Why is he of all people in Springwood?!"

The brunette shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe after seeing me in that dream, he decided to come after me. He probably overheard Freddy mention Springwood and my name."

"Still, even with that information, it would have taken him ages to find you," Eva reasoned.

Charli agreed. "He's still out there, isn't he?"

The elder teen sighed. "There's been no news of him being found. Maybe I should report who he is to the police."

The brunette shook her head. "They wouldn't believe you."

"You're right," Eva sighed out. "What are we going to do?"

Shaking her head again, Charli was about to mention her latest _talk_ with Freddy when her room's door opened, Mason and Claire coming in. Upon seeing Eva, Mason's nostrils visibly flared. "I told you to stay away from my daughter. Get out!" he bellowed, Eva jumping to her feet in intimidation.

"Dad!" Charli called loudly. "Dad! Don't blame her for something out of her control! You're projecting the blame on someone undeserving!"

Mason's head jerked in her direction. "And you, young lady, are never leaving our sight again. I won't lose our children to some murderer just because you've got irresponsible friends!"

"What the hell are you talking about?! It was a stupid party, dad! All she did was convince me! It's not like I went against my will!"

"I don't care if you were willing or not!"

"Mason, please! This is a hospital!" Claire tried to reason.

"Get out of here," Mason demanded, pointing at Eva, eyes manic, putting the girl on the spot. She was stuck between wanting to stay beside Charli and trying to keep the peace with her father. "GET OUT!"

"No! _You_ get out!" Charli suddenly declared. "Mom!" she pleaded.

"Mason, you're acting unreasonable and behaving like a lunatic!"

Mason spun on his wife. "We nearly lost our daughter, Claire! I think I'm entitled to such behaviour!"

"I'm aware of that! But blaming the incident on her friends is far beyond irrational! Had they not been there to help her at that time, she probably wouldn't be here with us now!" For once, her reasoning got through to him, finally calming down, albeit marginally. "Go cool off your head," she said, pointing to the door. Mason stood there for a moment before pulling open the door and leaving the room. With a drawn out sigh, Claire walked over to the bed, looking at Eva. "I'm so sorry, Eva."

The girl nodded. "It's okay, Mrs. Baines, I understand."

"I never got to thank you for being there for her."

"What are friends for, right?" Eva commented, a slight smile on her face.

Claire returned the smile, then looked at her daughter, stroking her hair in that typical motherly way. "You'll be able to come home today. After the doctor looks you over and signs the release, of course."

Charli nodded. "How's Gabby?"

"She's fine. She was restless when we left last night, but she seemed much better after seeing you. Gabrielle was just as terrified as your father and I when we heard from the officers that you had been attacked."

Another nod. "Okay. I want to see Logan before I go, though."

Getting the okay from her mother, she was wheeled down the hallway by Eva, rolling into a different room where she saw Logan sound asleep, possibly drugged out for the pain he must have been feeling. Nick was also in the room, looking up from his seat, relieved to see Charli.

"Hey," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Could be better," she admitted. "What about you?"

"They gave me some painkillers, so I'll be okay, I hope."

"Has he woken up at all?" Eva asked, looking at Logan in concern. Charli noticed the expression she had as her friend walked over to the bed.

"No," he said. "Drugs really knocked him out, I guess."

Eva reached out to brush aside Logan's dark brown locks in an almost loving gesture Charli had never seen from her before. Curiously, she asked, "Eva, are you and Logan...?"

Startled, Eva turned to her friend. "Me and him? No way. In case you couldn't already tell, even if we're friends, we barely get along." Charli's brows rose in disbelief, as though she had just learned a dirty little secret. "What?"

"You went out once," she declared suddenly.

Even Nick's brows mirrored Charli's. "What? Seriously?"

Eva looked uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed. "Is that your abilities kicking in?" she asked warily, aware of Charli's psychic ability to just know things.

"Even if it wasn't, it's written all over your face."

After a moment of awkward silence, Eva scoffed out. "Okay! We may have bumped uglies once."

"And you're totally into him," Charli added, a slight smirk on her lips.

Before Eva could protest, another voice entered the conversation, weakly asking, "Who's into who?" Eva spun around to see Logan awake, his eyes blinking open. "I'm hungry," was the only other thing he said, making the others laugh softly amongst themselves, him merely smiling since it would have just hurt to laugh with them.

"Glad to see you're okay," Charli said.

"You too," he returned. "How's your head?"

"Better." The brunette looked around at her friends, remembering her conversation with Freddy. "I have something to tell you all."

"What's wrong?" Nick asked. "Is it about that psycho last night?"

"That psycho was none other than Michael-fucking-Myers," Eva stated. "A murderer made famous in Haddonfield."

Nick frowned, trying to recollect his thoughts. "Isn't he the one who killed his sister when he was a kid?"

Logan blinked again. "_That's_ the guy who was after us last night? Jesus fucking Christ. First Freddy, and now that motherfucker. I couldn't believe his size."

"Try feeling his strength," Nick commented bitterly. "I'm surprised the impact didn't kill me when he shot out his foot."

Charli would testify to that. She recalled the masked man's firm grip around her when he pulled her out of that car. No matter how hard she had wriggled and kicked, his arm had never budged. Had Logan not have been there, she probably would have been amongst Michael's kill count last night, her body left in the woods.

"Why the hell is he here anyway?" Logan asked. "Isn't Haddonfield in a different State?"

"Illinois," Eva confirmed.

"He was after me," Charli explained, the room having gone silent. "Over three weeks ago, I had another dream. Freddy wasn't there at first, but _he_ was," she said, referring to Michael. "Apparently, I somehow pulled Michael into my dream and he attacked me. Freddy showed up and they fought."

"Eva said as much," said Logan, sounding miffed. "But this whole pulling someone into your dream schtick seems a little too farfetched to be true."

Eva spoke up, "Lucid dreamers can achieve this. Charli may be one, and it helps to have some psychic know-how."

"But," Nick started while looking at Charli, clearly puzzled, "why would he come after you? Where's the logic in killing someone just because you shared the same dream?"

"I'm sure there was no logic in him killing both his sisters and a bunch of other people," Charli stated. "They didn't even know why he killed his first sister. But that's not what I want to talk about. Freddy came to me again after I lost consciousness."

"What did he want?" Eva asked warily. "I'm surprised he didn't hurt you again."

"He could have," Charli admitted with a shudder. Freddy had been too close for her comfort that time. "He knows about my dream skill, so he wants me to start pulling people into my dreams because I'm apparently immune to something called..." she trailed off, the name escaping her. "Fuck, I can't remember what he called it. It's apparently poisoning the entire town's water supply and local foods. This thing can keep Freddy out of people's dreams, which explains why he's only able to see me."

Nick frowned. "It must be a drug."

"Hyp...hypno...hypnocil!" Charli exclaimed. "That's the name!"

"Hypnocil? Certainly sounds like a drug."

Charli nodded, agreeing. "He can't touch nearly most of the town because of this thing, so he's having me bring him people from outside the town."

"And he'll kill you if you say no?" Logan asked, apprehensive.

"No," she said, growing quieter. "He'll find a way to kill my sister...and all of you."

* * *

Mason had said nothing on the way home from the hospital after Charli had been released with a promised appointment to have her head checked within a couple of days. Charli sat in the back in silence, glaring out the window. When the car pulled into the driveway, she immediately vacated the vehicle.

"Charli!" she heard someone call out, the teen turning around to see Gabby running towards her, her wavy long pigtails bouncing and flying behind her. "You're home!"

Smiling, Charli bent down to catch the girl, picking her up as she stood up straight. "Hey, squirt. Where were you?"

"Mommy left me with Mrs. Bradbury, the neighbour," Gabby explained.

Charli looked over to see a kindly old woman walking over. Claire greeted her, "Thanks for watching Gabrielle, Phyllis. I hope she wasn't any trouble."

Phyllis just smiled. "It's no trouble at all. She was an absolute angel." The elder looked over at Charli, concern etched in her features. "How are you feeling, Charlotte?"

"I'm okay. Thank you for asking," she said politely then went inside with Gabby once she unlocked the door, putting in the pin for the security on the keypad. "So," Charli said, looking at her baby sister, "you hungry?" With an excited nod from Gabby, they ventured into the kitchen to find whatever snacks there were.

* * *

After an uncomfortable dinner, Charli had gone upstairs to take a nice long bath, moaning softly the second she sank into the hot water, letting it sooth her sore body. She closed her eyes, fully relaxing herself, drifting off, only reopening her eyes when the light past her lids grew dark, finding herself in a decrepit and empty room with nothing but an aged and dirty cast iron tub. She sat up in alarm, seeing the red water sloshing around from her movement. Realizing it was blood, she shrieked, scrambling to get out while trying not to throw up from the overwhelming metallic odour.

The red-drenched teen fell onto the floor, taking a deep breath before pushing herself up. Now cold, she hugged herself, shivering terribly in the nude. What the hell was she doing here? There was a telltale drumming, and she turned to see Freddy standing in the doorway, scrutinizing her hungrily, making the girl cringe, covering herself as best as she could. He laughed softly at this, resting his claws over his chest, licking his burned lips.

_"I came to ask about whether you thought about our little talk, but I find myself...distracted. Such tender youth,"_ he rasped, stepping closer.

"S-stay away from me!" she demanded, trying to hide the tremor in her voice while she stepped further back.

_"I promise to be gentle...at first,"_ he half-promised, grinning darkly.

Charli had to come up with something, and fast. If she really had the power to pull someone into her dreams, she didn't want to drag her friends in, nor her family. She doubted anyone in Springwood would be able to defend themselves against Freddy for long. No one, except... Though desperate, she was uncertain of what she might be about to do. It was crazy and risky, and possibly just plain stupid. Maybe all of the above. She wasn't even sure if she could bring them in at this time.

"I'm warning you," she started. "Take one more step, Krueger, and you'll get more than you bargained for." For her own sake, she hoped she wasn't bluffing, and even if she was, hoped that he would take her threat seriously.

She wasn't so lucky. Freddy smirked, knowing full well she couldn't do anything to him. _"What are you gonna do to me, bitch? I own this world, and anything I say, goes."_ Even his advance had not stopped or slowed.

"Stop," she begged quietly, pressing her back against a wall. "Please don't..."

_"Relax,"_ he rasped, now close enough to lean on the wall with his left hand, using his other to trail a claw lightly over the light skin on her shoulder and her arm, barely disturbing the red rivulets. _"I have every intention of making this good for both of us."_ He leaned closer and she squeezed her eyes shut, a name blaring in her mind.

_MICHAEL!_

Freddy stopped short as he suddenly felt a presence behind him. Slowly, he peered over his shoulder to find the giant standing in the middle of the room. The phantom looked back at Charli, unimpressed and pissed. _"You little bitch."_

* * *

**A/N:** Cutting it close to my personal deadline. Though in Australia, it's already Saturday morning. I'll have to read over this chapter and the last one later to look over for any typos. No bloopers today. My brain is a little fried due to Spring allergies...or a cold. I like to think myself somewhat invincible and think my only pieces of kryptonite is penicillin and common colds. Alas, that is not the case. Next chapter will start darkly but end on a _slightly_ light note. I'm sure you readers will probably both hate and love the next chapter for whatever reasons. Anyway, please leave a review and thank you for reading!


	8. Close Encounters

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER VIII –** _**Close Encounters**_

* * *

For once, Charli felt the urge to smile right back at Freddy in a smug fashion. He pushed off the wall, turning to face Michael completely, his claws scraping together in irritation. Michael on the other hand had been momentarily puzzled. One minute he was standing outside in the dark in Charlotte's yard, the next he felt a pull at his mind as though somebody was beckoning him. He had closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was inside a strange place again. Michael had taken a moment to take in what was happening. Before him stood that girl, questionably naked while covered in watered down blood, and the man he had been told to look for.

Charli stood there, somewhat relieved. Freddy would hopefully be distracted while she tried to focus on waking herself up. As she looked up at Michael, their eyes locked for but a moment, and as though he had learned everything he needed to, his gaze shot towards Freddy, tightening his grip on the knife. Freddy in turn brandished his knives in a quick flash, and they moved towards one another, driving their blades forward in each other's left shoulders, both tied in drawing first blood.

The teen's body jumped some, startled by the sound of metal sinking into flesh. She had to get herself out of here. Placing fingers at her temples, she focused on the thought of waking up. After moments of trying, nothing changed, and she could still hear Michael and Freddy grappling each other, trying to gain momentum against each other. With Michael's inhuman strength as well as his size alone, he should have had the upper hand, but Freddy had the advantage of being a dream demon, evening out the playing field.

Freddy grinned, stabbing more into Michael's shoulder with a malicious glee. _"What's wrong, Michael? Does it hurt?"_ he asked on a laugh. In retaliation, Michael headbutted him, forcing them to part as the nightmare man grasped his head, stumbling back some. _"Motherfucker!"_ he cursed loudly. _"Don't you know that nobody wins with a headbutt?!"_

Michael's response was a boot to Freddy's chest, having him crash through a window, Charli shrieking as she turned away, covering her head as she crouched down. The masked man marched towards the window to see his foe lying on the ground surrounded by shards of glass. He climbed through the window into a dead garden, walking towards Freddy with violent intent. Taking the opportunity, Charli escaped through the window, crying out when her inner thigh caught a piece of glass still attached. Falling over, wincing in pain as she grasped the wound, she looked over to watch the battle.

Freddy jumped to his feet, raising both hands and bringing them lower in a pushing down motion when Michael suddenly walked into a wet pit of mud, sinking to his waist as he struggled. He lashed out at Freddy with his knife when he walked across the pit like it was hardened dirt, dancing out of the way and then swinging a leg forward to kick the knife out of Michael's hand and out of his reach as it landed next to the girl. Stepping forward again, he put a boot atop Michael's head, pushing down. Hands grabbed at his ankle, surprising the phantom as he nearly lost his balance, trying to pry away his foot from Michael's crushing grasp.

_"Let go, you little—ha!"_ he said, kicking Michael in the face, stunning him into releasing him.

Stepping back, Freddy watched as roots from the ground rose, wrapping around Michael's torso, arms, neck, and his masked face. He fought the wrappings, only becoming more immobile as he was pulled down into the sinking mud pit. Charli watched, feeling hopeless that she'd never be free of Freddy. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she dragged herself over, reaching for the knife. Grasping the weapon, she went on her hands and knees, crawling over to Michael. Murderer or not, he was her only chance. She gasped when she nearly fell in like him, forced to keep at a distance, crying in pain and despair.

Noticing what she was trying to do, Freddy walked over the mud. Panicked, Charli turned away, more concerned for her life than her modesty. She spun onto her back just as he fell on her, stabbing at him with the knife. He emitted mock cries of pain, but when she stopped to realize he was faking it, he smiled triumphantly, grabbing the knife, throwing it over his head. Effortlessly, he lifted her by the neck, slamming her into the side of the house. Her face became contorted in misery, knowing what was about to happen.

"P-please don't," she begged. "Please don't rape me!"

He laughed, _"Rape you? My dear Charlotte, I wouldn't dream of it."_ This seemed to quiet her somewhat, though she still felt uneasy. He leaned in close, inhaling her floral scent beneath the blood and dirt. _"One can't rape the willing, my dear."_

"NO!" she screamed, pushing hard against his chest with one hand while clawing at his right hand with the other.

Using his left hand, he placed a finger on her lips. _"You say no...but my mouth and your body say yes-yes!"_ And like that, his mouth crashed over hers, his scarred tongue invading her wet cavern while pressing his body against hers. The girl screamed, pushing harder as she cried. When she went to bite his tongue, he recoiled, licking his lips in satisfaction. _"So sweet,"_ he commented.

Charli nearly threw up, gagging as she whimpered, her head on fire at the moment. His power was overwhelming, and there was no way for her to defend herself against him. He grinned, keeping her firmly in place on the wall while a hand reached down to touch the cut on her thigh, running a rough finger along it. She hissed, turning her face away as he licked the somewhat thickened blood off his finger. He nearly moaned at the taste, using that same tongue to lick at her neck, regardless of how much dirt was on her. He just needed to taste her flesh, feel her squirm, hear her screams, smell the blood. No, he wouldn't kill her. He had use of her after all. That didn't mean he wouldn't hurt her in all the best ways.

Using an invisible force, Charli's upper body was pinned to the wall, hands above her head. Hands now free to do whatever he wanted, Freddy grabbed her legs, wrapping them around his waist, relishing in her sobs. She tried to turn her face away to no avail when he licked at her tears, chuckling at her expense. He let out a low growl once he pressed his clothed pelvis against her bare one, closing his eyes. It had been far too long, he realized. Going into another panic once she felt his hardness through the fabric, she shrieked, trying to push him away with her legs, but it only served to spread her legs more.

He chortled darkly, bucking against her once, making her squeak, the girl stilling, afraid she'd incite more of his dark excitement. _"See now? It's not so bad. You may even enjoy this,"_ he stated, about to discard the slacks until he was suddenly torn from her with superhuman strength, thrown against a tree that would have broken anyone else's back.

Charli fell to the ground in sobs, hugging her legs, looking through wet lashes at Michael, who stood over her, staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. He turned from her, avoiding the pit this time before reaching Freddy at the tree, picking him up and stabbing him in the face with the knife that had been thrown within reach earlier. Freddy yelled out, hands flailing next to his face in agony. The knife was yanked out, then driven into his chest next, repeatedly stabbing as Michael raised his hand high, as though angered by something.

_"Get the fuck off me!"_ Freddy commanded, kicking out his leg, Michael flying back through a fence. _"Jerk off,"_ he muttered, his wounds disappearing, picking his hat off the ground to replace it after brushing it off. He looked over to find that Charli had gone and he angled his head, chuckling to himself. _"Aw, did I come on too strong?"_

Why couldn't she wake up? How did one wake themselves from a dream? Charli was already halfway down the street to her house, regardless if it was a fake house in this world. Naked, dirty, sore, and sobbing, she made her way through her yard, running inside and slamming the door shut, turning the bolt lock before collapsing to the floor, sobbing hysterically. Freddy had nearly got what he wanted from her and part of her felt shattered that he had touched her that way. Killing her would have been preferable. She wailed for a couple of minutes, reduced to a ball of tears, but she heard a shattering of glass, making her gasp and close a hand over her mouth to keep from breathing.

_"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."_ came Freddy's call.

She restrained a whimper, crawling up the stairs as quietly as possible, heading to her room, closing the door and locking it. Crawling up the other flight of stairs, she climbed into her bed, much like a child would, hiding under her sheets, squeezing her eyes shut. She heard a crash and splintering of wood, yelping in surprise. The sound of footsteps reached her ears, ascending the steps, the creaking getting louder the closer they got. Screaming as she was suddenly grabbed, the covers were torn from her face, meeting Michael's gaze. She was suddenly left speechless, trembling in his hands while he simply stared at her.

_"I thought I told you to keep your hands off my woman,"_ Freddy announced himself, standing in the room with the other two. Michael released Charli, turning to Freddy, grip tightening on his knife. Freddy laughed softly, _"Oh, I know. She looks good enough to eat, doesn't she? But she's mine!"_

Backhanding the air, Michael flew into the wall, Freddy jumping on him when he landed, stabbing the masked man in the chest as he laughed. Charli screamed, seeing Michael cough. He could taste the blood spilling out of his mouth beneath the mask, grasping Freddy's arm before driving the knife into his shoulder. Growling out, Freddy backhanded him then took out the knife and throwing it aside. Michael coughed again and Freddy tore off his mask, pleased by the look of pain in his features.

_"And I was starting to think you were immortal like me. You're just a stubborn piece of trash."_

Charli sat there, close to hyperventilating, her breath catching when Michael looked at her weakly. His eyes weren't the black she originally thought, but a dark blue. They almost seemed vulnerable and pleading the second his mask had been removed, as though a child had lost their most treasured blanket or toy. Torn, she closed her eyes, hiccoughing, and with all her might, she pushed Michael out of her dream. Freddy cursed when the man dissolved from under him, yelling as though he could raise the armies of hell. Spinning on her, he marched towards the bed, but before he could lash out at her with his claws, she too disappeared, a roar erupting from him.

Charli emerged from the depths of the bath water, taking in a great deal of air as though she had been drowning. She sat there, catching her breath while in a daze. Finally, she let out a sob, covering her face until she felt confident that she could get out, going straight to her room once she was finished with the bathroom. Shakily, she took out her phone and was about to send a text to Eva, but stopped, deciding against it for now. The memory was far too fresh for her to talk about it with anyone. She cried alone, refusing to sleep again as long as she could help it.

Michael was gasping in the yard, gripping the wound on his chest, breathing laboured. That had been incredibly dangerous, even to him. No, simply being stabbed wouldn't kill him, but even Michael had his weaknesses. He knew now that the phantom was too strong, even for him. At least in dreams, he mused. It might be a different story if that man was in the real world. Michael's thoughts wandered to the woman who had willingly put him out of further harm's way. She had intended to save him when he was in the pit as well, he realized.

Recalling the way that man had forced himself on Charlotte, something inside him simply snapped, bothered by his treatment. Yes, Michael was not above torture, but he didn't sink as low as rape. He had seen it before at Smith's Grove where orderlies would force themselves upon the other patients, and deep inside, it always bothered him. So, when two orderlies decided to take it a step further to get off by raping a female patient in his own room, Michael had killed those men slowly. After that, Michael felt satisfaction for his deed, even though others had seen it as monstrous, not knowing the full details of why he did it.

Slowly, he stood up, using the backyard tree as his support until he could stand on his own. Knowing it would have been troublesome if he got caught now, he looked at the girl's house one last time before wandering off.

* * *

"Did you sleep at all last night, sweetie?" Claire asked at the table during breakfast.

"Not really," Charli confessed, explaining, "bad dreams."

Thinking Charli found the Halloween attack had traumatized her, Claire hugged her daughter. "I know. It was a terrible experience. So, I want you to stay home from school today and get some sleep."

"Okay," Charli lied, not intending to sleep at all, looking at her little sister who was eating pancakes. "You're getting syrup all over your face."

"No, I'm not!" the girl denied. "Mommy, can I stay home too?"

"No, sweetheart. Daddy and I are going to be working all day, and Charli needs some rest. So there won't be anyone to watch you."

"But I want to stay with Charli!" she whined with a pout. "She looks really sad!"

Charli blinked. She knew she probably looked tired, but could Gabby see beyond her physical misery? Seeing the look on Gabby's face, Charli couldn't help a small smile. "I'll be okay, squirt. School's important too."

"But I can take a nap with you," she protested.

"Gabrielle, the answer is no," their mother stated firmly. "Now finish your breakfast." She looked at Charli. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" The teen nodded, making Claire sigh. "Make sure to get some sleep."

"Right..." Charli stared at Gabby, feeling some pity for the girl who looked distraught. Part of her wanted Gabby to stay, but if she did fall asleep, Charli didn't want to risk pulling her in as well.

* * *

Children played loudly in the Springwood Elementary schoolyard, bouncing balls, swinging on swings, sliding down slides, climbing jungle gyms, running around, skipping rope, so on and so forth. Gabby was playing hopscotch, growing bored of it. She had been bored all morning. The girl walked away from the painted lines with a sigh, sitting on one of the benches, her mouth in a pout as she rested elbows on her knees, face on her tiny fists. She stared around at the playground, wondering what to do until she heard a noise near the tall garbage and recycling bins beyond the playground beside the school.

Curiously, she moved off the bench, the two teachers that were supposed to keep watch were too busy breaking up a fight between young boys. She wandered through the wooden fence gate of the enclosed area, already open, though it was normally locked. She didn't ponder over such things, not even noticing a small streak of blood on the gate. She looked around until she spotted dark clad legs sticking out from behind a few bins. Unwavering, Gabby kept moving forward until she saw a whole man, wearing a white mask and dark red _paint_ dirtying his dark blue suit.

"Hi, mister," she greeted.

Michael opened his eyes, startled awake out of his recovering period, ready to lash out at whatever had disturbed him. Realizing it was just a little girl, the grip on his currently hidden knife had loosened considerably, carefully laying it down behind the bin, out of the girl's sight. He realized he recognized her, his mind groggy from the blood loss. When he forced himself to focus, he instantly knew her as Charlotte's sister.

She giggled at him. "It's not Halloween anymore, silly!"

He tilted his head, amused by her observation. Deciding there was no harm in her seeing his face, he reached up with a bloodied hand, pulling the mask off by its hair. Setting it aside, Michael looked at the girl tiredly behind his long and ragged dark blonde hair. The girl looked pleased, smiling brightly.

"You look like one of those doggies with really long hair!" He said nothing, only coughed, making her frown. "Are you sick, mister? Do you want some water? But I don't have a bottle to put it in," she realized quietly before brightening up again. "I know! I'll be _right_ back! Don't go anywhere!"

Michael would have said something, but seeing as how he hadn't used his voice in over two decades, he doubted that his voice would have worked immediately. Plus the girl had already gone off. If she brought someone back with her, there would be problems, and he didn't need that. And though he attempted to get up to leave, he felt too weak at this point to move. He needed sleep, and being unfamiliar with the town, he didn't know all the best spots to go hiding in. But much to his surprise, not only did the girl return, she returned alone, a paper cup in one hand, her other behind her back.

"Here ya go!"

Michael frowned somewhat, but reached out, taking the pitifully small cup from her even smaller hand. Had he wanted to, he could easily break her with one hand, but that compulsion wasn't in him at the moment, and her utter innocence diffused any homicidal tendencies left over. He slowly sipped the water, somewhat grateful for it as it soothed his parched throat, washing down some of the blood that was still in his mouth. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the brick wall, closing his eyes with a swallow.

"Do you want some more?" the girl had asked, making him look at her again, this time answering her by slightly shaking his head. He stared at her for awhile until she brought around her hidden hand, revealing a tiny daisy in her hand. "I thought you looked sad, so I picked this for you."

He blinked in surprise, just gazing at the flower. What the hell was he supposed to do with a plant? Rather than hurt her feelings, he reluctantly reached out, taking it like he did the cup. He wasn't certain what to do with it, simply holding it while staring at it, almost hoping it would catch fire and disintegrate in his hand so he wouldn't have to wonder anymore. Looking up at the girl, he saw that she looked happy. Why?

"Do you like it?" He didn't answer, though that didn't seem to bother her, rambling on, "Maybe I should bring one home for Charli." His brows furrowed some, perplexed by the name difference. "That's my sister," she explained. "She was sad too. I think she may be sick like you. She didn't sleep either, so she's really tired. So she's home alone today. I wish there was something I could do. Do you think if I give her a flower, she'll be happy again?"

Michael knew exactly the reason why Charlotte had not slept. He didn't want to answer the girl, not wanting to dash the girl's hopes. It was sweet the way this little girl worried about her older sister. It made him remember the affection he used to have for his baby sister before he was sent away for killing their older sister, Judith. He looked at the flower again in deep thought until he heard the school bell ring, making the girl jump up.

"I gotta go. I hope you feel better, mister."

With a wave, she ran off, being questioned by one of the supervisors of where she had been, stating that she was hiding with a new friend. Having heard this, Michael took his cue to leave, wincing as he forced himself to stand, grasping his mask and knife. He slipped his guise back on, leaving the garbage enclosure and the grounds, still holding the flower in his left hand.

* * *

Charli sat on her bed, hugging her legs while watching funny videos on YouTube. She was doing it to stay awake, hoping laughter would make her somewhat better, but she couldn't find humour in any of the videos she watched. The most it did was distract her, numbing her of the bad memories she had of her nightmare. But the second her eyes began to drop, she jolted awake, blinking owlishly into the space before her.

She went down to the kitchen quickly, grabbing the instant coffee and a soda from the fridge. Charli nearly wept, partly because she was so tired, and mostly because she was afraid. Freddy was undoubtedly waiting for her with a punishment in mind. She just wanted to sleep without fear. The girl leaned on the counter, letting her head hang back as she sighed. A flash image appeared in her mind, recalling the foul taste of Freddy's mouth on hers, forcing that thing called his tongue into her mouth like a poisonous serpent. Overwhelmed, she leaned over the kitchen sink, gagging, her stomach heaving while nothing came out at first. Finally a mix of what had been a small breakfast and her sources of caffeine were released.

When it finally stopped, she just hung her head there, stomach hurting, staring at her emptied contents with a daze. She had to realize that Freddy didn't succeed in raping her, only violating her mouth and space. Michael had seen to it that Freddy had been interrupted. She grabbed an empty glass, pouring water in to it and using the liquid to wash out her mouth. She cleaned the sink before splashing her face with water, sighing as it dripped off her chin and nose.

As she reached for the soda, something tingled at the back of her senses, her eyes drawn to the backyard, staring through the kitchen window. Inhaling shakily, her brown pools scrutinized the area, seeing nothing. She yipped, startled as the doorbell rang. Calming her breathing, she looked at the yard again, then turned to the front door, padding over as it rang again. Opening the door, she saw her three friends standing on the front step, most likely skipping school. Before Eva could open her mouth, she was surprised with a hug as Charli broke into sobs, clinging to the goth.

"Oh Jesus," was all she said. "Let's get you back inside. C'mon, hunny." The trio brought the distraught girl upstairs to her room, Eva sitting on the bed with Charli while the guys sat on the floor. "What happened?" she asked softly, clearly concerned.

Charli hiccoughed, trying to piece together what she wanted to say without breaking down again. "I fell a-asleep in the t-tub last night, a-and Freddy tried t-to..." she trailed off, emitting another sob. "He tried to rape me!" she suddenly screamed out, hugging her legs, hiding her face in her knees while rocking back and forth. "I can still taste that awful tongue!"

Nick was about to stand up to embrace her, but he caught Eva's vehement head shake. Some people were different, but Eva doubted Charli wanted to be touched right now by anyone unless she initiated the contact herself. Logan was silent, but the scowl he wore was more angry than usual. He felt like killing something. Nick was lost, feeling helpless. He wanted to comfort Charli somehow, to let her know that she was safe. But as long as she continued having these dreams, he knew she would never be safe.

Suddenly that reminded him of something. "Charli," he started softly, "I found out what hypnocil is." She stopped rocking, barely lifting her head to signal that she was listening. "It's a dream suppressant for those with...night terrors. It's hasn't even been approved by the FDA yet."

"I thought as much," she muttered feebly, sniffing some. "He said I was immune, though, so it doesn't do me fuck all. It would explain why you guys haven't been threatened by him yet."

Eva frowned. "Now that I think about it, I don't even remember my dreams at all. I go to bed, sleep, and wake up. It's weird. All I can remember is a big fat nothing."

"Same here," Logan realized.

"But who would be behind drugging the food and water?" Nick asked.

"My money's on the higher ups, like the mayor and any other politician."

"No," Eva said. "Maybe a very select few, plus some cops, and the news media. And that's just for keeping everything quiet. Who are the ones to benefit from drugging the town?"

"Scientists and doctors," Charli answered automatically, not needing to think about it. "They would monitor us while researching the drug's effectiveness."

Everyone else seemed to be in agreement. "Maybe if we find out whoever is behind it, we can tell them about your immunity," Nick suggested to Charli. "They might be able to come up with something to keep Freddy out of your head. Without you, he's powerless, right?"

Charli looked up at Nick tiredly, murmuring, "I wish it were that simple. What will happen the next time I fall asleep?" She shook her head. "I'll probably be dead before we can get help."

"We have to try," Eva protested, grasping Charli's shoulders. "In the meantime, we'll have to use some unorthodox method of protecting you from him. Can you stay awake until I get back?"

Charli nodded. "I'll have to anyway."

"Good, because I ordered something for you when you first saw the store. Diana managed to find something that might help you." Charli's brows furrowed some. "It should give us some ideas on keeping him out. Nick, you'll stay with her?"

"Of course."

"C'mon Logan," Eva said, she and Logan getting up. "Nick, keep her awake."

He nodded. "Will do." Charli had to follow them to punch in the pin again before coming back up and sitting on the bed. Now alone, Nick looked at Charli, getting up to sit beside her. "Tell me what you need, Charli, I'll do it."

She was silent for a moment, then simply leaned against him. "Just hold me." He did so, shifting back on the bed to lean against the wall as she climbed to sit between his legs, resting against his chest while arms wrapped around her. "Talk to me."

He was rendered mute for a second, trying to think of what to say. He knew he had to keep her awake, so focusing her on answering questions might help achieve that. "What's your favourite colour?" he decided lamely.

A smirk briefly appeared on her lips as she stared into space. "Lilac purple. What's yours?"

He smiled. "Blue. Have you ever—no, never mind."

She blinked, looking up at him. "What is it?"

"No, it isn't important. And inappropriate, given the circumstances."

Charli stared at him for a long time then sat up. "I'm going into the backyard. Maybe the fresh air will help."

Nick followed her down and through the kitchen door after the security was released again. They both wandered into the yard, the sun nearly blinding as she walked over to a swing hanging from a thick branch. She sat on it, only swaying front and back by a foot or so as Nick stood behind her, grabbing the ropes to still her. She looked up at him, and he down at her. Something was nagging at her senses, so her gaze moved elsewhere to look around. She nearly jumped in her seat when she saw a flash of white in a nearby tall bush, but it was gone the second she blinked.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked, seeing her startled.

"Nothing," she said quickly, shaking her head. Was it her imagination? They spent some time outside, chatting until she had enough of the outside air. She let Nick walk ahead of her, remaining in the back doorway as she stared back at the yard again, speaking suddenly. "This will probably sound very strange to you, but...thank you for last night." She inhaled deeply, turning her gaze away from the garden before stepping inside, locking the door, reengaging the alarm.

Michael briefly peeked out from behind the yard's shed to stare at the door. He stood there, somewhat dumbstruck by the gratitude she had voiced. Nobody had ever thanked him before. Eventually getting over it, he moved closer, walking past the swing and leaving the yard. A gentle wind blew as the white petals of a daisy atop the swing seat fluttered then flew off.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry I'm late in posting this. I was going to post Thursday but my mom was hogging the bandwidth at the time and I forgot about it until last night. Unfortunately I was too tired to do last minute editing so I slept first. Well, it's here now. Anyway, normally I dislike children, but Gabby is a necessary character considering Freddy's Modus Operandi. Even if I dislike kids, that's not ALL kids, so Gabby is on my 'tolerable children' list. She'll serve as a major role later on, and will help to reveal Michael's softer side. For those who want to argue that Michael has no softer/human side, refer to Halloween 5 in the attic scene, and the beginning of Rob Zombie's Halloween with how young Michael treats baby Laurie. Also, saw My Bloody Valentine, both the original and remake. Meh. I feel similar towards the Friday the 13th movies, but they were at least comical to some extent, and the main reason I watched them at all is because of Freddy.

**Horror Bloopers:_ Skit 4_  
**  
Gabby: *gives Michael flower*  
Michael: *wears flower in hair*  
Gabby: *starts braiding Michael's hair*  
Michael: *somehow has pink bows in hair*  
Gabby: *breaks out the teapot*  
Michael: ... *forced into tea party*


	9. Uncomfortable Arrangements

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER IX –**_**Uncomfortable Arrangements**_

* * *

"I've got it," Eva announced as she and Logan were let in, the group of them heading back upstairs. The girl was holding a small flat parcel wrapped in brown paper before tearing it off to reveal an aged leather bound book. "This is what we need."

"I can't believe you," Logan said. "Like a stupid old book is supposed to work."

"Shut up, Logan," Eva said dismissively while flipping through the pages. "This book is supposed to contain a lot of really good spells. There are very few copies and Diana was barely lucky enough to get her hands on one for me. If I scour the pages down to the most minute detail, I may be able to find a protection spell."

Nick looked at Charli to see that she was already starting to fall asleep. "Better hurry. I don't think she can stay awake much longer." He shook her, making her jolt awake.

"I'm fine," she said, removing her glasses to rub at her eyes. "If there's at least something to keep him from touching me, I can deal with him."

"There is...something," Eva said while distracted by the current page. "You still have those candles?" Charli reached back for the partially melted white and silver candles, giving them to Eva. "I need a mirror as well."

"Nothing hand-held," Charli replied.

"No mirror? Damn. Well, anything that reflects clearly?"

Charli could barely think, feeling the tug of sleep, and no doubt the sharp grasp from Freddy, preparing for her arrival. "I...I don't know," she said, too tired and frustrated over the inevitable.

She closed her eyes for a second, and she could have sworn that the environment felt different. When she opened her eyes, she and her friends were sitting in that red stained room. They didn't notice, unaware of their current surroundings as Charli watched with terror to see Freddy behind a clueless Eva, grinning madly as he raised his claws. Charli's eyes widened and she launched herself forward to tackle her friend out of the way of Freddy's onslaught.

"What the hell, Charli!" Eva cried out in surprise until she and the guys witnessed with their own eyes as four gashes appeared across Charli's back, making the brunette scream in agony. "Charli!"

"Jesus, fucking, Christ!" Logan exclaimed. "She's dreaming right now!"

Charli whimpered, half-asleep as she could see her friends and Freddy in a single room. The environment alternated between the factory setting and her bedroom, but everyone was always in the same room together, Freddy looming over them. Charli knew they couldn't see him like she could. He eyed her, smirking at her as she climbed off Eva, her breathing heavy. He laughed, waving to her casually with the claws. All she could do was glare at him.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" she screamed at him, her friends watching her talk to no one, disturbing them.

_"Or else what? You'll call_ him_ again?"_ He laughed again. _"We both know he's no match for me. I bet he's still licking his wounds from last night."_ He pointed at her with a claw. _"I want your answer, Charlotte. We can keep playing this game, I've got all eternity. Help me, or let your friends die."_

Her lips squeezed into a thin line. "If you touch them, or me ever again, I'll put a damper on your little plans, Krueger."

His hairless brows rose as though intrigued. _"Oh? And what are you gonna do?"_

"I'll end it," she said, letting it hang in the air.

He paused, regarding her carefully. _"You wouldn't."_

"I don't want to die, but I'll do what I have to." She tilted her head, ignoring the pain in her back. "Tell me, Freddy, how long would it be until you found another like me? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Or perhaps I'm such a blue rose, that it will never happen again for you and you know it?"

He growled, annoyed by the truth she spoke. After a moment, he calmed down, then smiled. _"Alright, you win...this time. It seems we've reached an impasse."_ Clever girl. He knew she would never have the guts to off herself, but was willing to play along, at least to gain her cooperation for the time being. Still, even he wouldn't risk losing her on the slim chance he misjudged her conviction. _"Does this mean we finally have a deal, then?"_

She hesitated, closing her eyes. Though she had never been the religious type, she begged for whatever deity's forgiveness before reopening her eyes. "Yes."

And like that, everything became clear to her. Freddy disappeared, and she was inside her room with her friends staring at her with frenzied expressions of concern. She hadn't realized that from their perspective, she was speaking aloud, presumably to Freddy. They all looked as though they were deer caught in headlights when she was finally and truly conscious of them. Charli stood on her feet, swaying somewhat, dizzy from blood loss and exhaustion. She didn't have much longer til she was practically dead asleep. She still didn't trust Freddy to stay away from her, but if he wanted her help, he would honour his end of the deal.

"I," she started breathlessly, swallowing hard, "I made a deal with him. Find whatever spell you can. I'm...I'm going to sleep."

She barely made it to her bed, falling and passing out on it. Everyone surrounded her in a panic. Eva whimpered, slowly lifting the back of Charli's shirt to determine the extent of the damage, letting out a choked sob at the claw marks having gone across her back at a slight diagonal. She turned away in tears, covering her mouth, body trembling. Logan was immediately behind her, squeezing her shoulders in comfort before turning her around to hide her face in his chest.

Nick sat on the bed, touching just outside the marks. "We have to take her to a hospital."

"N-no," Eva said suddenly, peeking out. "We can't. Her parents might think we did it, and try to bar us from her again. Either that or they'll send her away and we won't be able to help her."

Nick swallowed, knowing she was right. "Logan, see if they have a first aid or something in the bathroom. Also bring up some towels." Logan left without a word, only petting down Eva's hair before he went to scavenge what was available. Nick turned to the goth next. "Eva, I need you get a bowl of hot clean water and granulated sugar, and afterwards, try to find a small needle, thread—preferably fishing line if you can find some—and superglue."

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded, leaving the room, feeling sick. Logan was the first to return, handing over the kit and towels. Nick somewhat calmly instructed to help him lift Charli so that he could lay out towels, setting aside a couple of small ones when Eva came in with the water bowl. He sent Logan to help Eva look for the other items while he was left alone to pour disinfectant on the wounds, prompting a slight whimper from the girl beneath him. He swallowed hard, continuing what he was doing, trying not to let his hands shake.

The others returned with some of the items, fishing line not among them, though luckily there was some in the first aid already. The pair sat quietly, only helping when asked as Nick quietly treated the wounds. He sprinkled some sugar into the cuts before disinfecting the needle and line, more shaky now. He stared, uncertain about being able to do the next part. Last thing he wanted to do was cause Charli more pain. Seeing this, Logan came over, quietly asking what to do. Nick had him clean his hands thoroughly before giving him the needle, cleaning his own hands to get off the tiny dregs of blood now staining them. Logan stared at Charli's back for a moment, and with a calming breath, he began.

It took an hour before Logan was finished, having aligned the skin to the best of his abilities before Nick took over again, disinfecting them once more, cleaning any excess blood. Once she was clean, he sealed them over with a thin coat of superglue, waiting til it was dry before he took some gauze, taping them on. He leaned away for a second, letting out a deep sigh. They were done. Now all that was left was cleaning up the blood and putting everything else away. Eva changed Charli's shirt, throwing out the ruined one, and they all removed the stained towels, taking them down to the basement to wash after thoroughly removing the stains.

They all now sat in Charli's room, staring at her still unconscious form. Eva shakily took the book into her hand, looking through it. "There has to be something in here. I'll have to make a shopping list of everything we need."

Logan watched her with some latent concern. "Are you alright?"

Eva wiped at her nose, sniffling some. "I'll live. Let's just...do what we can for her." She grabbed a piece of paper from Charli's school binder to start writing down notes and lists.

* * *

Charli woke from her short coma hours later, finding her back feeling stiff and strange. Normally wounds didn't feel like this, so as she reached back to touch her wounds, she felt what seemed like the work from a surgery. Surprised, she raised her head to see that her friends were still there. Eva was concentrated on her research, using Charli's laptop while surrounded by the spell book and scattered papers. Nick and Logan had fallen asleep, with the pair leaning against the wall.

"Eva," Charli rasped out quietly. Her friend looked over. "What time is it?"

"It's close to two. How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"Better," she admitted, knowing she had been asleep for four, maybe five, hours. "What happened?"

Eva scooted over to lean on the side of the bed to be at Charli's eye level. "After you told us you made a deal with Freddy, you passed out and we...fixed your back." Charli's brows rose slightly. "Nick fixed you up mostly, but Logan did the stitching. Does it feel okay?"

"It feels better than it did, but I'm still sore. Why does it feel so weird. Feels like sand got under my skin."

"Nick put on some sugar. Apparently it helps with healing wounds, like regenerating skin and stuff."

"I thought he was into science fiction, not medicine," Charli half-joked. "I'm surprised I'm not at the hospital."

Eva hesitated. "We were afraid something like your dad telling us to stay away, or you being sent away might happen. Something that might prevent us from helping you." Emotion welled up in Charli's eyes, sniffling some. "Oh, hun, does it hurt badly?"

She half-laughed. "It does, but that's not why I'm acting like an idiot. Back in Columbus, I barely had friends. They were more like acquaintances I could get along with. With what I was capable of, people felt...repelled by me. I never understood why. It's not like my gifts were dangerous or anything." She chewed on her lower lip. "Nobody really cared that I was sad when my grandmother died. And when I told who I thought were my friends that I was moving to Springwood, they just told me to have a nice life, like I was just a passing memory. Even before that, I didn't feel like they cared, and I stopped caring in turn. I stopped trusting people."

Eva brushed aside Charli's hair. "Some friends," she commented bitterly. "Makes me want to say, 'Damn those city kids.'"

Charli laughed with a little more heart this time. "They're not all bad. I just happened to be a black sheep." She sobered, just resting there, staring off into space. "I wasn't sad to leave Columbus. It didn't have the memories I had here with Faye. But I expected the town to be the same, and then I met you guys. Why do you stick around me? You could spare yourselves all the grief by avoiding me."

"Because we know what it's like not to trust people," Eva replied softly. "Like you, we're black sheep. We're...different from what society views as normal. We don't live up to certain people's standards and we're shunned for it. Everybody knows about Logan's drunkard of a dad, and they expect him to grow up just like his dad, what with his anger and impatience. He was prone to starting fights. Still is, occasionally. Me, well, look at me, in a town like this, with concern to where my interests lie, the reason is obvious. I've been called a witch and serial killer wannabe a few times."

"Well, to be fair, you're looking up spells," Charli commented with a smile.

The goth grinned. "I guess the witch bit might be a little true. The truth is," she started, hesitating some. "I mainly got into the whole supernatural thing sometime after my mom died."

"Yeah, I remember you saying that."

"It's my older cousin, Shaede, who introduced the whole concept of the supernatural to me. She used to live here for a few months with me and my dad before she moved away again." She sighed wistfully. "But as for Nick...well, to be honest, he's the most _normal_ of us four. People just found him a bit of a doormat being the quiet and shy guy he is. Especially since he's a nice guy. In a world like this, people will occasionally take advantage of other's kindness. He's the kind of guy you can rely on as a friend without question. He's so incredibly shy though, so it's hard for him to...well, get a girlfriend. And I even asked once if his preferences swung the other way." Eva looked directly at Charli in the eyes with a soft expression. "He likes you, so you know."

"I know," Charli said sadly.

"How long?"

The brunette glanced over at the boys, quietly replying, "Since that rave. I could tell he wanted to say something to me, and my...intuition told me." She shook her head. "Don't tell him I know. I like him, but I don't really see him that way. I might later on, but right now..."

"I know, you've got a lot on your mind right now. I totally understand. But what are you gonna do if he does confess?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe give him the same answer I told you. It depends on how I feel later on." Eva nodded, understanding, and suddenly the attention was brought to the goth as Charli slyly began, "So, you and Logan, huh?"

Eva expressed embarrassment, and the girls chatted quietly, talking about random things, girl things, and even serious things. Eventually their giggling woke up the boys, showing relief that Charli seemed well, though not fully rested. Charli painfully left her bed to see them out before her mother and sister would come home, not wanting to deal with the questions. Her mom was cool about her friends, so she wasn't worried, but her father on the other hand...

When Gabby and Claire did come home, Gabby instantly ran upstairs to look for Charli, who had resumed her spot on the bed. "Charli? Are you awake?"

"Mm-hm," she murmured out, turning her head over. "Hey, squirt."

Gabby smiled brightly, running over to put a handful of picked daisies on her pillow. "I picked these for you. You looked sad," she explained.

Charli blinked at the flowers, somewhat annoyed by the mess she no doubt had to clean up, but moved by the sentiment. Smiling, she picked up one and put the stem behind her ear. "How do I look?"

"Pretty!" Gabby gushed, making Charli chuckle. He girl climbed onto the bed, putting some weight on Charli's back to steady herself.

The teen gasped out in pain. "Off the back, Gabby," she firmly requested, having barely managed to get it out.

Gabby's hands flew off, sitting there with a look of guilt. "Did I do something really bad?"

Once the temporary shock of pain subsided, Charli released a breath she'd been holding. "No, it's okay. You didn't know. I just had an accident today, but don't tell mom and dad about it."

"I promise... Does it hurt a lot?"

"Yeah. It's better than what it was, but I'll be okay, Gabby." Charli sighed in relief as she didn't feel the pain anymore. "Just...don't touch my back for awhile." The girl nodded vehemently and Charli looked at her. "Tell me about school."

Her face lit up again. "I made a friend at school!"

Charli blinked. "Oh yeah? What's their name?"

The teen watched as Gabby made a clueless and disappointed face. "I don't know," she admitted, then giggled. "I'll call him...Mr. Bubbles."

Charli would have snorted out a laugh, but alarm bells were going off in her head. "Him? What did he look like?"

Gabby's lips pursed as she thought it over. "He looked like a big lion."

"Gabby," Charli started slowly. "You do remember what we keep telling you about strangers, right?"

The little girl pouted, murmuring guiltily, "Don't talk to strangers..."

Charli painfully sat up, keeping her back straight, legs over the edge of the mattress. "You know better than that, Gabby. There are really mean people out there. You have to be more careful. Where were your teachers?" Gabby didn't have an answer. The teen sighed. "Did he do anything to you?"

The small child shook her head. "No. He only sat down. He was covered in brown paint, and he looked sick, so I got him water. I gave him a flower too, because he looked sad."

The older brunette's brows furrowed. Putting all the information together, Charli's eyes widened, rendered to a slightly trembling state. Michael had been at Gabby's school. Thinking about it, he really did look like a lion with that dark blonde mane. The brown paint must have been dried blood. Oh god, Gabby could have been killed if Michael had so wished it. He'd already killed many people at the rave, and nearly her and her friends. What would have stopped him from killing a defenceless child? After the initial shock, the fact Michael didn't harm Gabrielle raised questions. Was the murderer not as merciless as the newspapers had portrayed him after all?

Turning to her sister, Charli spoke up firmly, "Gabby, I need you to listen to me very carefully. If you see that man again, do_ not_ go near him. You run away and scream for help. Do you understand?"

"But why? He seemed nice."

"He's very dangerous, Gabby." She couldn't say that Michael Myers would have killed her. The girl would have cried, gone in a panic, and their parents would get mad at her. Sighing, she added, "Just trust your big sister, Gabby. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. You're the world to me."

"Okay..." she said sadly. "I promise."

"Good girl," Charli said softly, bringing the girl into her lap, hugging her close.

* * *

After the Halloween murders, news of Michael had spread around, though no one actually knew who the killer was. None knew what he even looked like. The only people who knew were the four that had survived the attack. Regular counselling had been set up for students, but since Charli was already seeing the school counsellor from the scars on her arm, the arrangement had already been forced on her.

Charli sat in the counsellor's office, not looking at the counsellor, Mr. Warner, who was an elderly English man who could have retired years ago, but chose to stay. He tilted his head, waiting for Charli to speak, but as usual, she was being stubborn. Why did this girl act in such a way? He tapped a pen on the notepad lightly, staring intently at her. The brunette stared at the clock, simply trying to wait it out until the end of the half-hour session.

"You're going to have to talk to me eventually, Miss Baines. We're here to talk, that's all."

The girl turned her gaze towards Warner. "I'm not interested in talking to someone who doesn't listen to me. I have nothing to say anyway."

He sighed, removing his glasses as he leaned back in his chair. "The sooner you open up to me, the sooner we can home in on the matters troubling you. Besides, we can talk about what happened at the party."

The brunette just stared at him. "What is there to talk about?"

"Well, did you know any of the adolescents present, that had...?" he trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence without it sounding insensitive.

She shook her head while she quietly said, "No. I was with my friends, but we're all okay."

Warner didn't seem all that convinced. "I've heard that you were one of the last to leave the scene. Some students have even mentioned that you were attacked while fleeing." He paused to let this information sink in. "

"What is this? An interrogation?" she snapped out. "So what if we were the last to leave? Yes, we were attacked, and we probably would be dead right now had the police not shown up when they did. My friend already gave her statement to the police."

"I'm only bringing this up, because such a traumatic experience could be detrimental to your recovery."

"Oh, is that all?" she scoffed. "I'm _not_ suicidal. And don't preach to me about this being denial. I was having nightmares, god dammit. Haven't you heard of someone hurting themselves in their sleep?"

He thought about this. "Are you still having nightmares?"

She wavered. "I've only had a few," she admitted.

"When did these nightmares start?"

She sighed, leaning back. "After I started at this school."

"Not when you moved into town?" She shook her head. "How many nightmares have you had?"

She thought about it. "I don't know, maybe close to seven."

"Did any of them occur after the incident on Halloween?"

She sighed. "Sure, a few, but none of them was even related."

"Could you describe one of them for me?"

Dark eyes stared at Warner as she firmly stated, "No." The last thing she wanted to talk about was Freddy Krueger, least of all, the part he had nearly raped her. "No," she repeated more softly.

Warner sighed, leaning on his desk now while clasping his hands together. "Of course. Only when you're ready."

She would have scoffed again. If he only wanted to get her to talk about things when she was ready, why was she being subjected to attending this session twice a week during her lunch? It was contradicting and invasive. Charli knew she didn't need counselling for suicide. She didn't have it in her to end her own life. For one thing, she had her sister to think about. Charli couldn't understand why all the adults thought otherwise.

* * *

Michael watched Charlotte and her friends from afar as the quartet headed home from school. It had only been two days since Michael had briefly shown up at her house, and he was merely keeping his distance for the time being until he could formulate a plan to bring Freddy to him instead of the other way around. As Michael was, he was no match for the dream demon who was sitting comfortably in the dream realm, safe. Safe from him. The Shape exhibited his frustration over this fact by squeezing his hands into fists until his fingernails drew blood.

Keeping out of sight, Michael followed the foursome while Eva spoke loud enough for his acute hearing to pick up on, "So I got everything last night for a lot of the spells we should try."

"Okay," Charli said, "but did you find anything else out about you-know-what?"

Nick answered, "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to learn who the main distributor is."

"It's like they don't even exist," Logan commented with a snort. "How hard is it to find this hypnocil?"

"Hard enough that they don't want to be sued and sent to jail for poisoning an entire town with unapproved chemicals without permission," Eva pointed out casually. "It's illegal experimentation. Sure, it might protect the town now, but if people knew, they'd be incredibly pissed off."

Charli sighed. "Alright, so what's the first spell we're trying out?"

"Well, it's supposed to stop bad dreams. I even bought a genuine dreamcatcher, just in case."

The brunette had her doubts. "Alright, but I'm starting to wonder if this is such a good idea. It might just piss him off if it works."

"So what if it pisses him off?" Logan started. "He can't expect anything less. Besides, he didn't say you couldn't try to block him out, did he?"

She shook her head. "No, but that's why I'm worried. Eventually he's going to want me to get started on bringing him people."

Everyone was silent until Nick spoke up, "If none of those spells work, how are we supposed to go about being accessories of murder?"

"None of you are getting involved," Charli stated firmly. "The last thing I want is for you guys to take the blame for Freddy, let alone become his targets."

"Maybe we can somehow frame Myers for it," Logan suggested. "The police still haven't found the bastard. Though it's been quiet since Halloween."

Somehow, Charli felt bothered by the idea. "I don't know about that."

"Why not?" he asked, disappointed that she wasn't supporting his idea. "It makes sense, doesn't it? The guy uses a knife...and Krueger uses that—"

"I know damn well what he uses," she snapped coolly, surprising her friends. Calming down, she apologized, "Sorry."

"No, you're right. I know this is difficult, particularly for you," Logan rationalized. "I just want to know why you don't think it'll work."

Eva turned to him. "Think about it. Their MO doesn't match. Freddy would have to copycat Michael Myers to make it convincing, and I very much doubt Krueger is gonna care about covering up his acts. I mean, what can you do to someone who's already dead and can't be caught anyway?"

Charli said nothing while Logan sighed. "Okay. Then what about disposing the bodies?"

"Can we not talk about this anymore? We're not exactly in a private setting," Charli pointed out, a little annoyed. Though what she said was true, she also felt bothered talking about murder. It was already bad enough that she had to go through with it if she couldn't block out Freddy.

And like that, the subject was dropped. The silence was cut short though by Nick. "Speaking of private settings, maybe we should take our conversations to a new location."

Eva's eyes brightened with amusement. "Are you talking about a clubhouse? That's so incredibly juvenile, I love it. Secret headquarters and shit. Charli and I can put on a sign that reads _No Boys Allowed_."

"But...we're boys," Nick pointed out, confused.

"Are you?" she asked playfully.

Logan, for once, held a neutral expression. "I do believe she's questioning our manhood, Nick."

"Maybe I am," she said, grinning smugly.

"Would you like for me to prove that I am very much male? Again?" he asked cheekily, barely restraining a smirk.

Charli saw how quickly Eva's face had reddened and had to laugh, Nick joining her. Eva couldn't deny that she had walked right into that one. Once their bout of laughter had ended, Charli pondered over the idea of a hideout. It seemed like a practical idea. The chances of someone walking in would be much slimmer. There was the issue of being found...alone...by Michael.

Just as she thought about him, Charli suddenly realized that there were eyes watching them. His strong gaze had become familiar to her to some extent, so she knew he was around. Her dark gaze looked around, and as she expected, there was no one to be seen. Talking out in the open was really dangerous. Feeling anxious now, Charli murmured to her friends quietly, suggesting they get off the streets as soon as possible. Taking her advice, they quickly walked off towards Charli's house, leaving behind a shadow.

It didn't matter to Michael, he knew where they all lived at this point. Though he found their conversation beforehand intriguing. So, Charlotte was helping that phantom. Had Michael made the wrong impression of her? Was she someone that deserved to be punished after all? Part of him knew that he didn't contain all the information, suspecting that this arrangement with Freddy was forced, judging by the tone and discomfort she carried. Upon their mentioning of a secret hideout, Michael listened more intently, hoping they would voice that information. Unfortunately, they had no idea of the location yet, so he would have to continue stalking them for the time being. It would take time, but Michael Myers had plenty to spare.

* * *

**A/N:** If any of you have seen the remake of Nightmare on Elm Street, you'll know what micro-naps are, which is a concept I decided to use in this chapter, though it is not entirely the same as Micro-Sleeps, which is a real thing. Also, chapter is semi-dedicated to a long-time reader of mine and friend, Winter, because she gave me the idea to use the name _Mr._ _Bubbles_. It's a Bioshock (video game) reference if you don't get it. Michael is officially Mr. Bubbles, because let's face it, he's wearing a mechanic's jumpsuit and he looks as though he could be a car wash operator, and Gabby is the Little Sister. Also, honourable mention of Winter's OC, Shaede.

**Horror Bloopers:_ Skit 5_**

*Micro-Naps Sequence*  
Charli: *sees Freddy*  
Freddy: *chuckles evilly then pulls out permanent marker and draws on everyone's faces*  
Logan: *has glasses on his face*  
Nick: *has penis drawn on cheek*  
Eva: *has massive curly moustache*  
Charli: WTF Freddy?!  
Freddy: *evil laughter in the distance*


	10. Lying in Wait

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER X – **_**Lying in Wait**_

* * *

Freddy waited patiently in his home turf, the dreamscape version of his old house. He stood there in the middle of what used to be a family room. There were no pictures in the frames sitting on the fireplace mantel. The place was merely a shadow of what it once was. His presence had tainted it with blood. It was not here he had died so long ago, but at the plant, a place he was certain had been long abandoned by now. The world had changed so much since his time. It had been close to fifty years since his death at the hands of Springwood. Remembering the flames now made him shudder to even think about it.

Claws twitched and scraped together in agitation while he waited for Charlotte to come back to him. He had to admit that the girl had him stuck for the moment declaring the threat of suicide if he so much as thought of her precious loved ones. It didn't matter, as he would get to them eventually, especially that little brat Charlotte seemed to highly cherish above all others. Yellowed teeth were bared in a perverse grin as he thought about all the things he would do to the rugrat. If he could at least enter her dreams, he would obtain an invaluable bargaining chip against Charlotte, giving her no choice but to do whatever he wished.

Yes, he thought with a small groan. The teenager looked so much like the Faye he knew. At first it irritated him because he had hesitated, but after he collected his wits, it felt so good to have control over the girl. Remembering the way she writhed put a hardening reminder in his trousers. He could still taste her mouth, making him lick his lips. Letting out another groan, he dropped into the armchair as his fingers dug into the armrests.

Even if he was technically dead, he still remembered a lot of the emotions and sensations he had as a human. Joy, anger, pain, pleasure... He lacked sadness and fear, though he felt them on some rare occasion. Like when he learned that Faye had gone from the world permanently. To hear it from someone who was like her twin in teenage form, it had been surreal to him. He had wanted to see her so badly in her dreams, but the hypnocil had prevented it, and even if the opportunity arose, he didn't want her to see him as the monster he was. No doubt she probably thought he was a monster the second she heard that he had murdered his wife after some twenty odd kids.

As a human...he had wanted Faye. Now there was her granddaughter, who had inherited not only her looks, voice, and gifts, but also her spirit. Seeing into the girl's older memories, he was shocked to learn of their relation. Initially he had planned to savour in her death, as she was the first soul in a couple of decades, but after learning who she was, he knew he didn't have it in him, not because she was her grandchild, but because was so much like her, it was maddening. He growled at this knowledge, digging blades into the armrest.

The moment she did arrive was the moment he would demand her to bring him the souls he so desperately starved for. After years of misuse and lack of replenishment, his influence and power had waned somewhat. Though his thirst for blood would never be entirely satisfied, he would no doubt satisfy his lust over Charlotte the second he had complete control over her. If he had to, Freddy would keep her in his world forever.

* * *

Charli watched as Eva laid out a bunch of items on the carpet. The goth held out a pretty little dreamcatcher for her, to which Charli reached for, bringing it back to scrutinize it more carefully. Not that she knew much about such things, but it looked old, albeit well made. She ran a hand delicately under the beads and feathers that dangled from it, fascinated by the simple beauty of such craftsmanship.

"Naturally, dreamcatchers are probably one of the most common methods of preventing bad dreams," said Eva. "You've got to hang it over your bed though. It's a genuine one, too. Made by the...oh hell...I can't remember their name. They have a proper name, but I think they were also known as the Chippewa."

"It's beautiful," Charli breathed.

"Kind of ironic, no?" Nick commented, earning some looks. "I mean...Charlotte's Web?"

Charli blinked, then briefly recalled the numerous times Freddy had called her _Piglet. _"Yeah...ironic." She looked up at her ceiling, finding nothing of use, but she looked at her window, seeing a small hook just above it. Reaching over, she hung the dreamcatcher, pleased with how it looked. "I hope it works."

"If you believe hard enough, it just may work. But, just in case it doesn't, we have other options." Eva put together a bunch of candles. "As a contingency plan, I got a bunch more of these suckers, because you may need a lot of them to hold you over for awhile. It's said that white candles are good for protection, same with silver."

Logan arched a brow. "It has to be a specific colour?"

"Just trust me. I've done my research." She sighed. "There are so many different spells. I mean, you could surround your bed with a circle of salt or ashes, but let's test out the candle schtick first." Eva got up, putting a white candle in a dish, placing it in the window sill. "Okay, for this one, basically you just light the candle and watch the flame until you fall asleep."

"This seems really basic," Charli pointed out, arching her own brow in scepticism. "Is that really all?"

Eva sighed. "It's supposed to work the same way as the dreamcatcher where the nightmare's are caught in the wick or the flame, and when the sun comes up, they dissolve. But no, that's not all. You have to think happy thoughts."

"What am I, Peter Pan?" Charli asked incredulously.

"The idea is that you're banishing nightmares by wishing for good dreams," the girl explained. "Just try it for now, and if Freddy shows up, we'll try something else. If not, then problem solved. We have to start small before we can go into the heavier magic because it can be very dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

"And if it doesn't work, how am I supposed to deal with Freddy when he asks me to bring him those souls?"

There was a few seconds of silence, making the room eerily uncomfortable. Logan finally answered, "Buy time."

* * *

This was it, Charli decided as she got ready for bed. Moment ago, she got out of the shower. Normally she took a bath before one, but ever since that time with Freddy, she never wanted to take the chance of falling asleep while in her most vulnerable state ever again. Her friends left hours ago, leaving the discussion for a new place to hang out for another time. She had still yet to tell them some things about Michael. Like how he had prevented her rape, as well as Gabby spotting him at school. The latter was a very important detail and Charli was severely tempted to tell her parents to keep Gabby home. She didn't understand why she hadn't already. Was it because Michael had not done anything to her sister?

"You're a mystery to me, Michael Myers," she murmured to herself, grabbing a matchbox.

With a quick flick, the flame was lit, then the wick of the candle that sat on the windowsill. Charli took another look at the dreamcatcher, then climbed under the covers while facing the window. Brown pools stared intently at the flame as she waited to fall asleep. She recalled what Eva had said about happy thoughts and tried to think of how to do that? What did she want to dream about? She remembered an old song she used to hear from her grandmother's collection of music, finding it fitting.

She began to hum to herself what she remembered, realizing she had not really forgotten it at all, singing very softly, "_Mr Sandman...bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever seen. Give him two lips, like roses and clover, then tell him that his lonesome nights are over..._" She hummed through some of the song as she slowly began to feel drowsy, only resuming quiet words over halfway through the song, "_Mr Sandman, bring us a dream. Give him a pair of eyes with a come-hither gleam. Give him a lonely heart like..._" she trailed off, her eyes having slowly shut, though she continued to hum, inwardly praying for good dreams.

And like that, she was out like a light. A light draft caressed her skin, the scent of dust and a mustiness reaching her nose. Her bed wasn't even comfortable anymore. It had become firm and creaked with her slight movement as she reopened her eyes, finding herself in a house again, but she didn't recognize it as Freddy's. No, she had been here before. It was the place she had met Michael.

The teen slowly and calmly rose from the floor, her vision impaired by the darkness. On her feet, she looked around, finding nothing of note. It was quiet. Swallowing, she quickly left the room and headed downstairs and towards the front door. Oddly, the door was unlocked. She had to remind herself that this wasn't Freddy's realm. Had she brought Michael into her dream again, thus influencing the shape of the environment? If so, where was he? She also had to wonder if the candle and dreamcatcher worked. But, they were meant to prevent bad dreams, right? So why was she brought here?

Lampkin Lane had the same eerie quality as last time, and Charli noted all the jack 'o' lanterns and other various Halloween decorations. Perplexed, she wondered what it was about the holiday. Why was it special to Michael? Most of his killings took place on the same day. First it was his sister Judith in 1992 when he was only six years old, then a bunch of prison guards and a handful of teenagers fifteen years later. Just recently he killed maybe around five kids. She and her friends could have easily been added to the kill count. The only Michael-related case that did not take place during the holiday was the murder of his younger sister.

Something else bothered her though. The first time Charli had met Michael, he clearly intended to kill her, but at the rave, instead of outright stabbing her, he dragged her out of the car window, pulling her away. On their third encounter, Michael didn't even bother coming after her. Why? Not only that, but he had seen her sister up close. And it was clear he knew where they lived. Was he just biding his time?

As she left the street, she wandered into a town she could assume was none other than Haddonfield. She only continued to walk for what seemed like hours, leaving Haddonfield entirely. All she could see now was a never ending road in the middle of nowhere. Where was the next town or city? It disturbed her that she had not seen a single person or other signs of life since coming here. She had to remind herself that she was asleep, but her guard was still up. Anything could and would happen if she relaxed for even one second.

Feeling anxious from the solitude, she called out, "Hello? Anybody around?"

As though to answer her, a chill ran down her spine, the hairs on her skin, mostly the back of her neck, standing on end. The teen knew she had to turn to look, but she was deathly afraid of what she would discover. The fear was nearly all-consuming, making her close her eyes tightly, body shaking as fingers curled inward as fists. There were footsteps behind her, coming towards her, giving her dark promises and visions of her own demise. Charli already suspected that the precautions she took beforehand hadn't worked. The feeling was worse after one thinks that maybe they were safe. A brief moment of a false sense of security, taken cruelly away.

The footsteps stopped, replaced by muffled breathing, slow and barely audible. She had to stop her own breathing just to hear the other's. Taking it very slow, she turned ever so slightly to peer over her shoulder, but as she did so, there was no one, making her spin all the way, taking a couple steps back in confusion. She didn't get very far, having backed up into a solid surface. She went to look again, but a large hand caught her throat in its tight grasp, making her choke. She coughed out, trying to breathe while attempting to make sense of the situation.

"M-Michael," she managed out, and for a second, she thought the hand had loosened upon the uttering of that name, but it simply resumed its onslaught. "M-Michael!"

Another cough, much needed oxygen denied her, she started to claw at the hand, and she was torn from the solid surface as Michael Myers turned her to face him. His white mask seemed to taunt her while the giant lifted her from the ground. She kicked her feet at him, hoping to hit that spot again like before, but he had not forgotten her indiscretion, swatting away her feet easily. He brought her closer, squeezing with more force as he stared at her with those blank soulless eyes, tainted with a blackness of evil. It didn't feel right to her.

Since prying off his hand wasn't going to work, she did the only thing she could think of and reached for his face. He tried keeping her hands away, but eventually she succeeded in pulling off the rubber disguise. He dropped her then to cover his face, the girl falling on her back with mask in hand. She winced, crawling backwards just before he dove for her, his weight causing them both to crash through concrete, and back inside the house right where she started.

Michael was hovering above her on his knees, frantically reaching for the mask. She kicked between his legs in retaliation, allowing her time to crawl away as he gasped out, a hand cupping the sudden pain. Feeling she had a better shot in an open area, she ran towards the front door, but there was none to greet her. She cursed, breathing heavily. Maybe there was a back door, she decided, running towards the back of the house and to the kitchen. This time there was a door, but just as she touched the doorknob, a hand tore her back, making her hip painfully hit a table.

The girl yelped, leaning on the furniture before looking up at Michael. He looked less than impressed, glowering at her and then to the mask she still had in her hand. He turned his gaze to one of the kitchen drawers, opening it before reaching in. A large knife was pulled out, then he stepped forward. Unable to react fast enough, Charli shrieked in a panic, climbing on top of the table. In response, as he charged, his hand went under the table and effectively flipped it over. She groaned in pain as she hit the floor, only for it to turn into more shrieks as he pushed aside the furniture and reached down to grab her foot, dragging her out of the room.

"No! NO!" she cried, grasping at the floor with her fingernails.

Once she was pulled into the living room, he forced her to flip over while she whimpered, kneeling down between her legs to prevent future _accidents_. He bent over her, his eyes full of rage. He spotted the mask she held and reached over to forcibly take it back. Slipping it back on, he felt a strange sense of relief, as though he was whole again. A strong hand painfully grasped her left arm, intending to leave cuts in her white skin as punishment for taking his mask. He slammed it on the floor above her head, making her yelp in pain. His knife was lifted to the skin of her forearm, but gave pause as he noticed pale indents. Four marks parallel to one another. These scars were new, he realized, having seen enough of his own scars as they healed.

Charli watched him warily as the tip of his knife traced the scars. "Freddy," she quietly said in explanation, catching his gaze. He held an unreadable emotion in his eyes, confusing her. "Why won't you kill me already?" she asked. "What do you want from me?"

He looked at the scars again, focused on them while she waited for his mute answer. A small clattering sounded above her head as he dropped the knife so that he could trace the scars with a calloused finger. There was surprising gentleness in the caress. He swallowed, concentrating on his current task to avoid the one he had been given. The shadow that hung over him, consuming his mind, had told him to finally bait Freddy with the girl. Killing her was out of the question, so torture was the best option. He had been resting most of the time while in hiding on the slim chance she would pull him into her dreams again, as that was where Freddy lurked. His own mind was a slave, yet it was protected by a different evil, so Freddy wasn't able to drop into his own dreams whenever the demon wanted.

Charli felt strange. She could sense that Michael was confused. By what? She couldn't conjure up her claircognizance whenever she wanted, and it certainly didn't allow her to read minds. So she settled for remaining still, hoping this was all that would occur until she woke up. The moment reminded her of her first encounter with Michael in the sanitarium. A simple brush of his bare face had given him pause. Would it work again?

Ignoring the fact he would likely react badly if she even so much as moved an inch, a hesitant hand reached up, touching the white rubber. His fingers had stopped dead on her skin, and she nearly recoiled. He did not move to stop her, only turned his eyes towards her face. She swallowed thickly while the masked man watched her with a kind of curiosity to see what she would do. As if encouraged, she ran her fingers downward, eventually touching the collar of his jumpsuit. She breathed as quietly as she could, resisting the urge to wet her dry lips as her digits moved to the skin of his neck underneath the mask. She felt him swallow—was he nervous?

"Can I see?" she breathed out.

His answer would have been no, but he found himself slightly distracted by her soft fingers. They were gentle, reminding him of his mother's hands from when he was child. It rose feelings of warmth he had not felt in over two decades. The shadow in the back of his mind persisted at him to continue his work, making his left grip tighten on her wrist, causing the girl beneath him to wince. Charli looked up at him, some of the fear returning as her body shook. Trying to distract him again, her fingers travelled further into his mask, touching the stubble of his chin. This seemed to work, but Charli stilled her movements when Michael's right hand came down over her face slowly, and for a second, she saw a marking of some sort on the tendons of his wrist.

Michael watched her with some intensity as his hand touched her face to mirror her own actions. Like her fingers, the skin was soft against the rough contrast of his own. It was not the first time he had felt such silkiness. He had killed other girls her age with equally smooth skin, but it was the first time that he allowed himself to really take it in, memorizing the feel of it. He waited for her hand to move on, but she appeared to be more interested in his right hand. Removing it, he studied it for a moment, consideration in his eyes. Slowly, he reached up, grabbing the synthetic fibres and pulling down, a mess of long dark blonde locks falling in front of his face.

The brunette stared in surprise, raking in his appearance. Gabby's description was spot on. He really was like a lion. The man even had whiskers. Slowly, her hand continued it's journey and he closed his eyes as it ran gently over his face. Charli scrutinized his features carefully; a strong jaw, a pointed nose, thick and straight brows, somewhat downcast eyes when they were open, and a thin but wide mouth. It wasn't anything like the mask he wore. She actually considered him—dare she admit—handsome, in a caveman kind of way.

He took in the feel of her hand, his brows furrowed to some degree. Yes, the touch reminded him of a long lost childhood, his eyes opening once more. Gently putting aside the mask, he reached up to touch her face again. His fascination with what they were doing had drowned out the voices somewhat, allowing him to ignore them for now. Or perhaps they were simply growing quiet on their own. Michael didn't care.

"What do you want with me, Michael?" she asked again, this time more firmly. His eyes met hers, giving no answer. Deciding she at least deserved one, even if he would kill her later, his eyes roved over her scars, his hand following, brushing over the marks. Understanding, the girl said, "You want Freddy." He frowned somewhat. He wasn't the one who wanted Freddy. Sensing this, as though the answer blared in her mind, she amended, "Not you...someone else. Why?" He still said nothing, unable to give her a clear answer. Her eyes moved upon the marking on his wrist as she looked up again. "Is it the same someone who gave you that mark?"

Michael's eyes widened somewhat, staring at her in small bewilderment. How in the hell did she know that? He lifted his arm to his face to study the tattoo. The thorn. No one really knew about the ones who worshipped this symbol. So how did she? In that moment, the voices returned with a vengeance, his eyes darkening before that same hand clamped over her throat, inciting a choked sound from the girl. She started to push against his chest while at the same time trying to take in air. He was too strong for her. At this rate, he was going to kill her!

Just when she thought she was going to die, Michael stopped, his grip loosening. The girl looked in his eyes again. They held alertness, staring not at her, but through her. As if to answer her confusion, Michael was suddenly thrust off her by an invisible force, crashing through the window and onto the front porch. The momentum had his body destroying the railing as he landed on the yard's grass. He made a slight grunt upon landing, but quickly moved to his feet, climbing onto the porch and looking through the window. She was gone. If he had a voice, he would have cursed. For now he settled for glaring at the spot she had once lied.

Charli dropped onto the catwalk with a cry of pain, gasping out as she lied there. She heard a dark chuckling behind her, making her turn to look, finding Freddy with his glove over his chest, drumming the claws. Those blades were then placed upon the steel railing, and as he walked towards her, he dragged those claws, a terrible screech emanating from them while a small amount of sparks flew. She swallowed, her breath and heartbeat picking up.

_"You've been avoiding me again, Little Charlotte,"_ he quietly accused. _"Were you truly hoping that some native artifact and a chunk of wax was going to keep me away?"_ She watched him and he let out another chortle. _"Think again. No spell is going to keep me from you. You're already in way too deep."_

"It was worth a shot. Who wants to see your ugly face night after night? You certainly don't hold a candle to Michael," she quipped maliciously.

Displeased, Freddy was literally on top of her with a growl. She lied still on her back, anxiously watching him as he threatened to cut off her nose, caressing the bridge downwards. _"That may be so, but that boy's got an ugliness of his own,"_ he said mysteriously. _"I didn't come here to fight with you, Charlotte. You've got work to do."_

She muttered out, "So soon?"

He smirked, tilting his head. _"I've waited long enough. I want one. Now."_

"I can't just leave the house in the middle of the night," she argued.

_"What would you have me do?"_ he asked patiently.

She swallowed, taking Logan's advice. "Give me til next weekend. I need to prepare."

He stared at her, mulling it over. He had been waiting for a couple of decades. What was one week to him? _"On one condition,"_ he began, making her rigid, _"you make any more attempts to keep me out, I'll consider it a betrayal, and take it out on you."_ He waited a moment to let that sink in. _"Do I make myself clear?"_ She inhaled deeply, then nodded. He smiled. _"Good. And just as a reminder..."_

Charli couldn't react in time before Freddy's mouth crashed over hers painfully, making the girl scream beneath him in disgust. He could feel her hands pushing at his shoulders, making him laugh in his chest as he ravaged her lips. Charli punched him in the side of his head then disappeared, only hearing the sound of his hearty laughter as she left the dream world, waking in the real world. She sat up in bed, panting. Her body felt sore again, and there was a disgusting taste in her mouth. The teen ran downstairs to the bathroom to wash out her mouth with toothpaste and mouthwash. Once she was done, she looked up at her reflection. There was no way out for her, and she damn well knew it with grim clarity.

* * *

**A/N:** To be perfectly honest, when I created and named Charli, I actually only named her Charlotte because I like the name. I didn't realize til later there was irony in the fact that Freddy called her Piglet every now and then, even though Charlotte was a spider. If you don't get it, and I don't see how no one would, look up Charlotte's Web. Classic children's book. By the way, at the end of the month, I may not have access to internet to post a chapter on time since I'll be moving out of this dump of an apartment. We'll be strapped for cash as is, so just fair warning. But like I said before, while I post one chapter for whatever story once a week unless circumstances intervene, I'll make up for it by posting chapters equal to the amount of weeks missed. I haven't written chapter twelve yet to be honest, but I damn well plan to do so before the deadline. And no blooper this time. No ideas come to mind, but please leave a review and thanks for reading.


	11. Lost in the Rain

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER XI – _Lost in the Rain_**

* * *

Charli had been quiet during breakfast, even when her mother asked about the bags under her eyes. She had already gone ahead to school, not bothering to wait for Nick or Eva to show up at the door. Walking onto school grounds, she headed for the field's bleachers, sitting near the top to be alone. There were various members of different sports teams already there, putting in practise for their next match. It wasn't a sunny day, the clouds having turned the scenery around her dull.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't hear anyone approaching her until said person greeted her, "Hey." She shrieked shortly, blinking owlishly at Logan, who raised his hands. "Whoa, it's just me." The girl sighed in exasperation, trying to force her heart to calm down. He sat down, joining her. "What's got you so jumpy?"

"I had a bad dream," she replied almost breathlessly.

He frowned. "So it didn't work at all. What happened?"

She swallowed. "Michael was in my dreams again. I must have pulled him in or something, but I managed to learn something."

"What is it?"

"He's trying to get to Freddy, through me."

Logan wrinkled his brows together. "Why would he want Freddy?"

She sighed. "It's not him that wants Freddy, it's someone else. Someone he...answers to." She shook her head, zoning out for a minute as she recalled Michael's marking. "He had a tattoo. I feel like I've seen it somewhere."

Logan watched her as she mulled it over. "What did it look like?"

"It was a triangle, but one of the side's lines were longer, like it was against a wall or something," she explained. Shaking her head again, she took out a notebook and pencil, drawing it. "Like that..."

His brows furrowed again. "Hey, I think I remember seeing this too. Wasn't it that rock you pulled out of the bag once?"

She blinked, then gasped out, "Oh my god, you're right! How could I have forgotten that? Oh shit, what was it called? Thor...Thur...Thurisaz!"

"Wasn't it also called _Thorn_?" he asked while she dug into her messenger bag again, pulling out the manual for Rune Casting.

She flipped through the pages until she found the main page. "I think when I drew the stone, it was like a warning, because the day after, Michael attacked the rave. But whoever gave him this mark, it holds special meaning for them." Hesitation filled her. "I have a week," she said suddenly.

The boy frowned. "For what?"

"Until I...give Freddy souls. It didn't work," she explained further. "He was going to make me bring one to him last night, but I managed to convince him that I needed time to prepare. Next Friday."

"Shit," he murmured. "Alright, I'll tell the others."

"No," she said firmly. "I'm only telling you so you know what I'm doing. I'm not bringing any of you along."

"If that was true, you shouldn't have said anything," he pointed out seriously. "I'm definitely coming with you. And knowing Nick and Eva, they will be too. You need us. We can plan in the meantime so it goes smoothly and no one has to go to jail."

Charli stared at him for a minute then sighed, dropping her head over her knees as she bent over. "If only Freddy could be locked up," she muttered, feeling sick.

"Plus I'm sure Eva will find something else to help you block out Krueger."

She sat up suddenly, shaking her head. "No! If we do that, he said he'll take it out on me!"

"Alright, calm down. We won't do anything," he reassured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure something out." For everyone's sake, they had to.

* * *

The others had learned everything from Logan, since Charli wasn't too willing to talk about it anymore. She still hadn't told them about previous encounters with Michael, being incessantly nagged about it in the back of her mind. Before, she had been too upset from Freddy to even mention Michael saving her from being violated, but half the time, she didn't think there would be any point in telling her friends that. They would probably shrug it off even if she did tell them. However, the fact Gabby had been within his reach would certainly set off an alarm, probably worse than how she reacted, since she knew Gabby was perfectly alright. She never even got the chance to ask him why he spared her sister, but hopefully Michael would never go near her again.

Meanwhile they were all walking home from school, most of them remained quiet, not wishing to discuss the issue at hand in the open. The silence was broken as Nick spoke up, "Remember what we talked about before? I think I have a place in mind, the only problem is that it's in the woods."

Eva looked over. "Because that's where Myers was seen last, right?" Nick nodded while Charli tensed somewhat. "Well, maybe he's not there anymore. The police have been searching those woods for days and found nothing."

"Do you guys want to check it out then?"

"Fine," Logan said, "but we take weapons with us."

"And what kind of weapons are we talking about?" Eva asked incredulously. "A couple of whacks to the head with a tire iron barely did anything. And according to Charli, he survived even Krueger stabbing him more than a few times."

"Christ, I'm just saying we need things to defend ourselves," he argued.

No, Charli thought, even Michael Myers had his limits. Even with his seemingly superhuman strength, Michael had shown exhaustion against Freddy. The dream demon had limitless energy in his domain. She almost told them then that she had doubts that Michael remained in the woods, but didn't want to deal with arguing with them right now. For now, they all agreed to meet at Eva's later around midnight.

* * *

It was already past eleven when Charli decided to pack up some bottled water, a flashlight, extra batteries, matches, candles, an extra sweater, and some food. She changed for cooler temperatures, slipping on a royal purple tank top, a white knit sweater, blue jeans and white toque. Slipping on her white K-Swiss sneakers, she descended her stairs and peered out her door, listening quietly. No doubt her parents would deny her late access after the rave incident, so she knew she had to sneak out. She heard a telltale clacking on a keyboard, which meant Mason was in his office. As for her mother, she had no clue.

Deciding to chance it, she passed through the door, closing it quietly and heading for the other flight of stairs, but paused. She looked back at Gabby's bedroom door and backtracked, going inside the kiddy room of stuffed animals and dolls. There was a slight bump under the pink and white blankets on the bed as Charli came over, seeing her baby sister asleep, hair splayed in a mess around her tiny head. For some reason, the teen felt obliged to see her before leaving. She reached out, brushing aside some of the girl's brown locks. She chuckled lightly when she saw she was drooling.

After pulling up the blankets a little more, she let out a sigh and left, checking both ends of the hallway before heading downstairs. Deciding to leave through the backyard, she headed for the kitchen, only to stop when she saw that the light was on. Crap, it must have been her mother. She waited, listened, but heard nothing. Frowning, she edged towards the kitchen to find she wasn't there. Perhaps she had gone to the washroom. Light on her feet, she headed for the back door, disengaging security, then slipped through after reengaging. Once the door was closed, she felt a sense of relief.

The walk to Eva's was about ten to fifteen minutes, and it was quiet in the neighbourhood. There was the occasional dog barking, but other than that, nothing. Leaves rustled as the wind blew softly, adding to the chill. Charli could see the mist of her breath, but showed some anxiety when she could smell the moisture in the air. Would it rain? She stopped the second she felt eyes on her, looking around in alarm. As expected, she didn't see anybody, but just _knew_ someone was watching her.

She called out, "Who's there?" No answer. Well, this felt familiar, she mused. "Michael?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

Michael was indeed watching her, but out of sight. She had good instincts, he realized. It wasn't uncommon for people to notice the darkness he exuded, but this girl appeared to be more attuned to it. Perhaps it was her constant exposure to the phantom. Either that or she was being completely paranoid, expecting an attack around every corner. He would not respond, nor would he come out to confirm his presence. He needed to know where she was going at this time of night. The Shape watched her walk off, and like a predator, he stuck to the shadows.

The girl had wandered off to a small house as he hid behind a tall fence, his eyes easily overlooking it as she was invited in by her friend. They spoke, and they were soon joined by the two boys he had always seen Charlotte with. Moments later, they got into a car and drove off as he stared off after them. He knew where they were going already. He had been watching them earlier that same day, listening. The woods, he recalled. He was about to make his way there himself by foot until he heard the back screen door swing open of the yard he was in. It was an elder man, possibly in his sixties, taking out the trash. He was whistling a little tune as he dumped the recycling into the proper bins and then the garbage into a large trash can.

He turned to go back in until he saw Michael. "Hey! What are you doing in my yard?! Get your ass out of here before I call the cops!" he warned, then narrowed his eyes. "And take off that stupid mask! Damn kids..."

Michael had been holding back for days now. He needed something to quell the voices inside. This man had seen him as well. He had to silence him. The masked one started walking towards the elder man, grabbing his neck before he could ask what the hell he was doing. Using his other hand, he grabbed his face, giving a violent twist, making a terrible snap. The body dropped on the small back deck with a thud as Michael stared down at the body.

"Dammit, Earl, what are you doing out there?" called a woman's voice from inside.

Michael's head shot up, then bent down to grab the man's wrist, dragging it inside as he opened the door. His eyes landed on a woman with grey hair who stared in voiceless horror at the sight of her dead husband. Dropping the body once more, Michael stepped over it as he made his way towards her. The woman squealed, reaching for her knife block, grabbing the biggest knife and pointing it at him in warning with both hands as she quivered. He paused, contemplating his approach. Deeming her no threat, he was at her in two large strides, dodging out of the way as she swiped at him.

"Stay away from me! I'll scream!"

Go ahead, was his only thought. By the time help would come, she would be dead, and he'd be long gone. He dodged again, this time catching her wrist, crushing it in his grip before wrenching away the knife with his other hand as she cried out. She screamed just before he raised the knife, thrusting it down into her chest, once, twice, thrice. She was left in whimpers as he watched her die, hands over her wounds as she spit up blood. Life finally left her minutes later and he stared at the knife. It didn't hurt to keep extras, but this one was too light for his liking. Dropping it, he stepped out of the house and left the neighbourhood entirely.

Gravel and wood chips shifted as the car pulled into a clearing. Headlights shut off the moment the engine was disengaged and four doors opened, the foursome exiting the vehicle. Charli and Logan were the first to light up their flashlights, and they moved in pairs. Nick took Charli alongside him as he led the way along a hidden path. He took out his own torch, flicking it on while throwing his bag back over his shoulder.

"I've heard about this place that's been around for decades. It's supposed to be around here in these parts," Nick explained.

Logan arched a brow. "You mean you've never seen it?"

"No."

"Then we should be looking for it during the day! The hell, man!"

"Then what's the point of it being a hideout if we're found sneaking off to the woods?" Eva pointed out. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather not be dealing with busybodies."

"Why? Because we're going to be talking about being accessories to murder?" he asked bitterly.

"Jesus, Logan, shut your fucking mouth for once!" Eva snapped back, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Don't you think it's hard enough as it is for her without us having to remind her every ten minutes?"

"I can hear you two," Charli called back.

With that, things went quiet for a bit, the only sound coming from the crunching leaves giving way under their feet. Half an hour later, everyone became tired and decided to take a small break. Charli leaned against a tree, barely able to make out through the dark that Logan and Eva were whispering harshly to one another, no doubt arguing again. Nick was peering through the woods with the torchlight then looked at his compass he had brought along. The brunette girl sighed, standing up as she thought how bad of an idea this was. The hidden path had long disappeared, or they had somehow veered away from it. It was the middle of the night and they were likely lost.

"Maybe we should head back," she suggested. "Trying to navigate through the dark wasn't exactly the smartest move, since we don't know where this _place_ is. The rest of us don't even know what we're looking for, Nick."

"We're looking for an old cabin," he explained. "It's around here, I know it is."

Charli shook her head, crossing her arms. "We should wait until Saturday morning or something. Besides, I don't feel like getting lost in the woods in the dark. If we keep going, we're going to be stuck here until daylight. And even then, how are we supposed to find our way back?"

Nick lifted his phone, waving it side to side as he smiled reassuringly. "I've got GPS. Eva left her phone on in her car, so I can pinpoint it."

Charli tilted her head. "Do you have a signal?" He was about to say yes, but as he looked at his phone, his face dropped. "Judging by your expression, I'm going to take that as a no."

"Damn it," he sighed out. "The signal's so weak."

"Can we go back then?"

With another sigh, he relented. "Alright. You're right, it's too dangerous."

"And I was starting to enjoy myself," Logan commented dryly. "You ready?" he asked Eva.

She nodded, shouldering her bag. "I'm all for going back. We can try again tomorrow after school or something."

"Provided we can find our way back first."

As everyone turned to leave, Charli grabbed her bag and started walking over to Nick as he waited for her. Just as they all headed back, Charli felt something splash on her hand holding her strap. The splashing became more recurring as they all noted with indignant groans that it was about to rain. Gradually the downfall grew more heavy, beginning to soak them all as they hadn't prepared for rainy weather, merely the cold. It became more difficult to see, even with flashlights. Charli shivered, seeing the way Eva stood exceptionally close to Logan, who didn't appear to mind, possibly to stay warm. She considered doing the same with Nick, but felt uncomfortable with the idea of leading him on. She even noticed that he seemed to have the same idea, judging from the look on his face and the glances he sent her way.

Just as she was about to give in, at least to stay warm herself, her foot slipped out from under her and she slid down a hill with a yell. Leaves and mud stuck to her as her friends' shouts grew more distant. Eventually the rolling stopped and she simply rolled down the steep hill and into a small creek. The experience had left her in a daze and now she really was soaked, and colder than before. Judging by the pain she was feeling, she probably hit a small rock or two on the way down, feeling the bruises already forming. She lifted her head from the water, cursing because she lost her glasses. Her vision wasn't completely obscured normally, but between the dark and the rain, it was pretty damn hard to see.

She had to get out of the water and standing, she decided, shakily trying to move to her feet. A yelp resounded through the night as she tried putting weight on the foot that had twisted and was likely sprained. A whimper fell from her mouth, forced to sit on the ground. At least she wasn't in the creek anymore. Hopping on one foot was not an option with the ground too soaked to be steady. Was she stuck here? How long would it take for her friends to reach her?

Charli started to cry, frustrated with her situation while wiping away the mud from her face. "God dammit..." What the hell was next?

As if to answer her silent question, thunder rumbled loudly, and lightning flashed, making her scream. No, no, no, NO! Hands covered her head and ears as she curled into ball, hiding her face behind her knees. She just wanted to go home! She should have turned back the moment she smelled the moisture back in the neighbourhood. It wasn't so much that the rain bothered her, but most wouldn't have known that she held a mild fear of thunder and lightning, usually startled by the sounds and flashes. She was fine if she was inside a building, but outside, caught in the storm, her sense of reason went out the window and she was terrified. She would have done anything at this point to feel secure.

There was a squishing sound behind her while she rocked and whimpered as boots stepped in drenched earth. Charli braved looking up, since thunder had not rumbled again as of yet, peering over her shoulder for her dark eyes to only widen in more fear. Michael towered over her, completely soaked, the synthetic locks of his disguise more of a mess than usual. He stood and watched as she tried to get up and run, but cried out as her ankle gave out, agony shooting through her as she fell. A sob escaped her, feeling helpless, coupled with the fear of being killed by Michael, only worsened as more thunder roared, making her flinch.

"H-help," she weakly called out, voice overtaken by her fear. "Somebody, h-help..."

Michael tilted his head. Why wasn't she running? He examined her appearance, seeing her completely dishevelled state. Assuming she had fallen and hurt herself, it would explain why she wasn't able to stand and run. Still, surely she had the energy to crawl and drag herself to get away from him. It was like she had given up, and it bothered him. As lightning lit up the sky and Earth, accompanied by the drums of heaven, he noticed the way she cringed in reaction to the stormy weather, eyes narrowing behind his mask.

Charli heard him come closer and she started to flip out, suddenly finding her voice and screaming. The girl flailed as he picked her up but she surprised them both when more rumbling was heard, causing her to latch onto him. Was she truly more fearful of the storm? Strong arms hooked under her back and knees, carrying her off to who knows where. She was shaking terribly in his grip, clinging to his chest like some frightened child. It reminded him of his younger sister when she had only been a baby. He inwardly shook those memories out, refocusing on the path before him.

Moments later while she hid her face in his chest, Charli listened as his footsteps changed. They no longer squished, and the rain pelting against her had stopped entirely. The killer strode along wooden planks as he entered a shelter of some sort, not caring to know where he was. He had to do something about the girl clinging to him. Michael looked down at her, confusion in his eyes over this sudden turn of events. People normally fled from him. It was a completely unnatural occurrence to be clung to for...what? Comfort? Protection?

Thinking it over, the girl had summoned him once before to protect her from that demon. That thing would have almost gotten her too if Michael hadn't been there to prevent it. And last night in their shared dream, she had given him his first gesture of comfort in a long time. He couldn't really recall the last time he had felt such a gentle touch on his bare visage. The most physical contact he had now was whenever he grabbed his victims to strangle or stab them. The feeling was so fleeting that he didn't notice anymore. Not until last night, and now.

He sighed inaudibly, taking up a spot on the floor against a wall, still cradling the teen. To him, she was incredibly small. Well, everyone seemed small to him. He was basically bigger than most people. But the way she curled into a ball made her seem exceptionally tiny. Pathetic, he thought. He honestly had no idea what to do at this point. He had the girl he needed to lure that Freddy creature, and right now the voices were silent. Normally Michael could figure things out for himself, but in this case, nothing came to mind. He could knock her unconscious, thus forcing her to dream, but even he didn't want to risk killing her by doing so. Sometimes he forgot his own strength. Maybe she would fall asleep.

Charli eventually calmed down, now under shelter, but she was still shivering, soaked to the bone. Michael gave off heat that lessened her discomfort and didn't appear to mind that she was drenched and dirty, nor did he seem to care that she was latched to him of all people she sought out for some miniscule reassurance that she was safe. The storm wouldn't get her now, she reasoned. It had rained a few times since she moved to Springwood, but luckily for her, not once had she heard it thunder. Having this fear for as long as she could remember, it had generally lessened as she grew up, but being caught outside still proved terrifying for her. At least inside, she felt safe, as though she couldn't be touched.

The girl hadn't really noticed til now that Michael had her in his arms, his grasp on her loose but firm enough that she wouldn't be able to pull away. He made no move to harm her, but it still set off alarms in her consciousness and she instinctively pushed. His grip tightened on her arm, keeping her in place with nearly bruising force, causing her to still. A slight whimper came out of her but he paid no mind, simply waiting for her next move.

"Please l-let me go, Michael," she pleaded feebly. He answered her by squeezing her arm again, evoking a wince from the girl. "I haven't done anything to you. What did I do?"

The man frowned beneath his mask. It wasn't what she did, he knew, it was what she would do for him. No doubt the shadows would demand her sacrifice once everything was said and done. Had she already forgotten that she was to lure that dream demon to him? Still, a part of him almost felt pity for the girl. She hadn't done anything wrong that he knew of, nothing that warranted this chase from both him and Freddy. His chest and shoulders rose and fell slightly with a quiet sigh.

The man felt her shiver against him, making him question whether she was exhibiting her fear, or she was simply cold. Remembering that they were both wet—well, her more than him thanks to his suit—he presumed the latter and found himself caught in indecision. There were three options before him. Do nothing, strip down, or share body heat. Last thing he wanted was for the girl to freeze to death. He still had use for her. Quietly, he shifted, unzipping the front of his suit, pulling it off his arms as the top of it pooled around his hips. Charli flinched at his movements and she squeaked when he tried taking off her sweater.

"No! No!" she repeated, shrieking at him, half tempted to slap him across that stupid mask.

Michael jerked her once, instantly silencing her. Knowing she wouldn't be cooperative, thinking he had other intentions, he took out his knife and made quick work of both her shirts. He paused for merely a second, taking a quick glance at her mostly bare torso, clad in only a black bra. He tilted his head somewhat, perplexed as to why she was trying to cover herself up. Michael had already seen her completely naked, along with other girls her age. This wasn't some new sight for him to behold. Inwardly shaking his head, he wondered if he should remove her bra as well, but decided against it, thinking it unnecessary. Wordlessly, as usual, he pulled her back over against his dry chest attired in a dry but dirty tshirt.

Charli blinked many times, feeling a mixture of emotions. She felt better than a minute ago, but the discomfort remained, knowing full well she was pressed against a murderer. Even though in the back of her mind, she knew why he was going so far, there was a sense of something else. After awhile, Michael was pleased to note that her shivering had stopped before he closed his eyes. In the dark, the teen stared at the knife that glinted dully on the floor, considering reaching for it. She knew it was a stupid idea, but she had to get away. As slowly as possible, so as not to be noticed, she reached for the weapon.

As her finger brushed the handle, she let out a short scream of surprise when he slammed her against the floor, the wooden floorboards cracking from the impact, pinning her painfully by her shoulders. The girl could have sworn she saw stars, certain that her head had also smacked against the floor, bringing on an instant headache. Wasn't one concussion enough? The girl groaned, closing her eyes, trying to will the pain away. Then came something unexpected. Her eyes shot open as she felt a hand under her head, rubbing at the sore spot. She looked up into Michael's eyes, not that she could see very well despite her natural night vision having developed by now. At the moment, he seemed to show regret and perhaps shame at his rough-handling.

Michael knew could have handled that better. It was an idiot move on his part to have left the knife within her reach. Luckily he noticed in time, but his reaction did not fare well for her. Reluctantly, he soothed the area that likely hurt the most at this moment, seeing the way she closed her eyes after the shove. Naturally, she showed surprise at this action. He too was also puzzled by his behaviour, much like when he had been approached by the little girl. Neither friendliness or mercy was in his nature. It was always kill first. It didn't matter who it was. It certainly didn't matter when he had killed his sisters.

"Why?" she asked softly, staring up at him in confusion. "Why didn't you kill my sister when you had the chance? I know you saw her."

Michael said nothing. He didn't have an answer. Didn't know it. All he knew was that he didn't see a need for it. Her death would have brought him nothing. It would have been counterproductive at best, knowing if he had killed her, it would make matters worse with Charlotte. But that wasn't why at all. He saw something akin to the past in the little girl, and for once, his hostile tendencies had been silent in those few moments he shared with the child. Looking down at Charlotte, he saw deep concern and puzzlement over the well-being of her younger sibling. And he understood. At one point in his life, he had known that sense of protectiveness, only to have his failure shoved right in his face, then down his throat when he figured out who was at the centre of that agony.

"If you ever harm her," she started firmly, "I will do _everything_ in my power to kill you."

If he had a voice, he would have laughed at the declaration. He settled for amusement in his eyes, but quickly sobered. Yes, he understood her feelings all too well. It pained him to be reminded after years of that dull ache in his chest. The eerily quiet moment was interrupted by the approaching yells of the girl's friends. He thought about what to do with them, but remembered the reason why he spared Logan in the first place. He needed Charlotte's cooperation. Wordlessly, he stood, replacing the suit, zipping it up and grabbing his knife. He looked over at her who now sat up to watch him warily. Reminded by the shouts that he had little time, he quickly left, his grasp on the knife tightening.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, he could have taken her away, but as Michael was already thinking, he would have an easier time getting to Freddy if he has Charli's cooperation. I realize this fear of lightning and thunder is a bit sudden, but I felt that the situation called for it. Unexpected, right? Not many of my main lead characters have irrational fears like this. Generally I just project my own fear of spiders onto them. Also, I'm going to try and post the next chapter early, like maybe Tuesday, because the power company decided to cut us off on the twentieth, so we'll be without power until we move, which will be on the 30th. Those assholes. Though, that's not to say we'll have any internet either because there's that hassle of transferring, unless I suddenly get a library card just to use their stupid internet. Either that or I find a place with free wifi. Anyway, just thought I'd let you know. No bloopers again this time. Too stressed about the whole moving thing to be funny. Please leave a review and thanks y'all for reading.


	12. Freddy's Back

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER XII – _Freddy's Back_**

* * *

Charli had been found just after she had zipped up a spare sweater in her bag. It was just as soaked as the rest of her, but she had to regain her modesty before their arrival. Part of her had feared Michael had left to go kill her friends, but yet, she knew it was the opposite. She had not sensed any killing intent in him, giving her mixed feelings about him. Not only had he spared her sister, but now he was leaving Charli alone _and_ her friends? She winced, reminded of the pain in her ankle just as she was blinded by flashlights.

"Charli, is that you?" called out a familiar voice.

"Yeah."

"Jesus," Logan breathed, waltzing over with the others, crouching next to her, and Eva beside him. "Are you alright?"

"My ankle hurts bad," she admitted.

Nick practically fell before her, his voice a little higher than normal. "I'm so sorry! I've been so stupid! Tell me what to do!"

Charli just stared at him, almost tempted to tell him to shut up. Resigned, she sighed, shaking her head. "Forget it. How did you guys get down the hill?"

The young goth spoke up, "We tried finding the least steep part of the hill. We damn near fell down ourselves. Question is how to get you out of here."

"Not while it's thundering!" Charli blurt out suddenly, a frightened plea in her features. "I can't go anywhere. Not now. Please."

Her friends looked at one another, puzzled by Charli's sudden panic. Rather than argue it, they all agreed that it would have been better to wait out the rain so they could see better later on. Eva started to put around some candles and light them. They looked around from what little light was given. It was dank, dark, and the place looked strangely constructed. As Charli looked out the front entrance, the small corridor towards the door looked as though it was the shape of a keyhole. Even the room they sat in looked somewhat misshapen.

"What happened to your shirts?" Logan asked suddenly, startling the girl.

What would they do if she told them about Michael? She came up with an excuse quickly, stammering out, "I...I tore them on the way down the hill. I had an extra shirt with me, just in case it got colder."

At least the second part was true. She almost cursed herself. Why was she lying? Even as she watched him, Logan didn't look entirely convinced. He seemed to stare at the ruined shirts longer than necessary, making her nervous. Christ, she could just tell them about Michael! So why wasn't she opening her mouth?

_It's because part of you still doesn't trust them_, her inner voice said. _Despite everything they've done for you til now, they could still turn on you, being just like everyone else who you thought were your friends. And so what if you do tell them? A single act of kindness doesn't redeem a murderer. Neither does mercy. Michael is a murderer. And you will be too._

He thankfully dropped the subject, turning away while moving to sit down. "So, what now?"

"I think by some chance, we actually found the place," Nick put in. "If this isn't the place, then I'm willing to settle for it rather than risk further injuries."

Eva rubbed her hands over her arms, looking around. "Place feels weird. Kind of gives me the creeps a little. Like...something bad happened here. What do you think Charli?"

Charli said nothing for a moment, taking her friend's statement to heart. As she concentrated, trying to utilize her abilities, images of the few moments she had with Michael surfaced at the forefront of her thoughts instead of what she was hoping to see. Why was she being suddenly reminded of that? She exhaled impatiently but shook her head to indicate she sensed nothing. She was too distracted by her current thoughts to really focus on what was nagging at Eva.

Logan shrugged. "I'm for it. How's your leg?" he asked the brunette.

She attempted to move it, wincing some. "I'll need some help walking."

"Should have brought a first aid," the goth realized.

"I've got one in my bag. Don't know if the supplies survived being dunked in the river though," Charli suggested, to which Eva responded by crawling over to the drenched bag.

"Christ, everything is soaked. But..." she trailed off, pulling out the kit and snapping it open, "turns out we're lucky. Everything seems fine in this." She grabbed a cold pack, snapping and crunching the insides together until it was the desired temperature, scooting over and placing it on her friend's ankle. "That better?"

"It'll have to do," Charli sighed out in small relief. "Well, we're here now," she pointed out reluctantly, wanting to get this whole thing over with. When no one answered, she urged on, "What the hell am I gonna do?"

"You mean what the hell are _we_ gonna do?" Eva corrected without missing a beat. "We've told you already. We're in this together. And I'm going to do everything I can to make sure Freddy can't touch you ever again. I'll use whatever spell necessary."

"Then that will just leave us Myers to deal with," said Logan on a thoughtful murmur. "He's just some guy with freak strength. He doesn't strike me as all that smart."

The statement suddenly put Charli on edge, remarking aloud, "If he wasn't smart, he wouldn't have evaded custody for as long as he has. He may look like some mindless killer on the outside, but every time I've met him, I've always noticed something very strange about him."

The others showed some surprise at her sudden defence of Michael. Wary all of a sudden, Logan asked, "What's strange?"

"He's..." she trailed off, realizing what she sounded like. "Well, it looks like he doesn't enjoy what he does. He only does it because he has to."

Realization dawning on him, his brows rose. "You mean someone has been controlling him? You said he was after Freddy because _they_ wanted him. Something about that rune you saw on him, right?" Relieved, she nodded. The young man sighed, "Okay, so...what if we found out who's controlling him? What then? We take them down, set him free? What will that accomplish? Do you really think that after years of being a psychotic killer, influenced or not, he'll just spare us for unlocking the shackles?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. For the first time since her indecision over telling them, she felt obligated to inform them about how Michael spared her sister, saved Charli from being raped, and also spared her half an hour ago. It was strange, being reminded of the fact that Michael had actually taken care of her in those few moments. He brought her into a semi-dry shelter and shared his warmth so that she would not get sick. The young woman already knew that Michael was capable of mercy and perhaps some compassion. Part of her pitied him for the life he had led. She didn't know the full extent of the control on him, but she had seen a side of him that may still be human. She had to learn more.

"I say we learn whatever we can about anything related to the Thorn rune. If we find anything, we'll see where to go from there. But right now, my main concern is..._our_ plan to give Freddy what he wants to keep him off our backs and hopefully out of my mind. I still wish to pursue any information regarding hypnocil. Eva, you do what you have to. Find at least some temporary way of protection. I don't know how much more of Freddy I can handle," she said tiredly.

* * *

Everything was set. They had done all the planning they could. It was time. A week had gone by with as much careful preparation as possible. All they had to do was ride off to the next town and scout out some victims for Freddy. Such a thing should be easy. But as the date grew closer, everyone's nerves became more rattled by the hour. Charli didn't even have the energy upon her return home that night a week ago to explain her whereabouts to her parents. The knowing of what was to come, the sacrifices she would make to protect those closest to her...it put a terrible strain on her mind. She would unwillingly feed a beast. A monster with an insatiable hunger for souls.

November the 13th...a Friday. How fitting, she thought bitterly, staring at the classroom clock with luggage under her eyes. Many had deemed such a day bad luck. Why? She didn't really know. Didn't care to know. She wasn't even sure that she believed such nonsense. She wasn't the superstitious type. But after the last couple of months she had, Charli was almost willing to believe anything was possible.

Brown pools gazed with utmost focus on the clock, willing time to stop, or at least slow to a snail's crawl. Normally staring at the clock or a pot primed to boil slowed time, but that was not the case this time. It seemed to speed up just for her. The ticks were silent to the rest of her classmates while it drummed with a dark beat in her ears and her head. It sounded so loud to her. Everything else in the room was blurred from her vision, muffled from her hearing. Her senses were nearly completely blocked to everything around her.

The girl nearly fell out of her seat when the bell rang, her heart racing. That was it, she realized. This was the final class, and now it was over. School was over for the weekend. It was time.

Everything had already been packed into Eva's car beforehand. All she had to do was meet up with the others and they would be on their way to the goth's house. Charli had merely left a note to her parents that morning that she _needed to get away for the weekend_. It was partly true, with her father being his usual overbearing self, and her mother smothering her at every opportunity. But Michael... She had not sensed him at all since that night. It was strange. Had her abilities waned in that time? Or was he leaving her alone?

The quartet met up at the school entrance, making their way in silence. To be honest, Charli had no idea where they were going. She had left that up to the others. The girl was too tired to care precisely where. Even as they reached the house and climbed into the car seats, Charli sitting in the back with Nick, she struggled to stay awake. Freddy had thankfully left her be when she did sleep, though she still felt his presence. He was probably doing so as a means of torturing her mentally. As of this moment, however, she could feel he was ready to greet her the second she entered sleep. God, she just wanted to sleep. And nothing could stop it from happening now.

A uncomfortable warmth engulfed her, coupled with an unpleasant chill down her spine. Her body felt some relief from the exhaustion, and she opened her eyes, resting against the railing of the boiler room's catwalk. Despite the ease from her involuntary slumber, even in the dream realm was she too tired to bother standing, let alone move. And leaning against the opposite railing was the dream demon himself, smirking mostly to himself. A new found energy had allowed her to at least glare at him while her face was masked with subtle indifference to his presence.

_"Welcome back, Little Charlotte,"_ he greeted on a rasp, that smile still plastered on his horrid features. _"Miss me?"_

"Not in the least," she replied casually, prompting a chuckle from the monster.

Claws drummed over his chest in that characteristic Freddy fashion, she noticed. Christ, she was becoming familiar with some of his traits. _"Guess what day it is."_ She said nothing. His smirk grew wider. _"I've waited a long time for this. Though it's not usually _my_ holiday to wreak havoc, it's certainly fitting, given the circumstances."_

"What are you talking about?"

_"Friday the 13th,"_ he clarified. _"But I'll leave that for another time. We have other matters to discuss. For instance, the souls you promised..."_

Her shoulders tensed. "Soon," she managed quietly. "We're on our way now..."

Though not entirely pleased that he still had some time to wait, he was satisfied with her answer. _"It'll have to do, won't it? Best keep your end of our deal, little girl, or else,"_ he began, getting in her face within a split second, a claw under her chin, _"there'll be hell to pay. I've got all weekend for the hypnocil to wear off from your friends, don't I? They won't be consuming it like they usually do, will they?"_

It was in that moment that Charli realized with frightful clarity that none of them had thought to bring food with them. Like a bird with ruffled feathers, she tensed, eyes widening. He chuckled, nodding at a mocking pace, his yellowed teeth bared in a perverse grin. She had to wake up! She had to tell them they needed to make a round trip. As he would have guessed. To silence those thoughts, he ran a claw over her trembling bottom lip.

_"We're already behind schedule, Charlotte. No time to waste,"_ he tsked. _"And I wouldn't worry. As long as you do this for me, I'll spare them this time around. At least, I'll try,"_ he amended. _"It'll be difficult to resist, I admit. Fresh souls are so sparse nowadays."_

More energy was conjured up as Charli pushed him off her while he laughed loudly. And in that instance, she closed her eyes, dissolving away, wiping the grin off his face. He growled thoughtfully. The girl was getting better at leaving. Which meant she was growing stronger. If this went on, he would have a harder time keeping a hold on her. Fortunately she was not aware of this yet, but that meant time was growing short. He had to replenish his old strength fast. Faye's granddaughter wouldn't get away from him that easily. He'd make sure of it.

* * *

An hour had gone by before even finding another town. The inside of the car had remained silent, even when Charli had jolted awake. No questions needed to be asked. The answers were obvious. As the girl stared out the window, the place looked even smaller than any town she had seen. Seeing as how it was surrounded by scarce forestation, including grass, with some factories in the distance, it was no wonder. Who would want to live here? At most it was a rest stop. Few lived here, but there were convenience stores, novelty shops, many little shops. Still, it looked as thought it was exceptionally hard to run a business here without much in the way of tourism.

"Let's stop to get something to eat," Logan suggested.

"I don't think any of us are hungry," Eva pointed out bitterly.

Nick leaned forward. "I imagine some of us might feel the urge to throw up later. Better to have something in our stomach than throw up just bile."

The leather jacket bearing rebel sighed. "Besides, _I'm_ hungry. I skipped breakfast and lunch today already."

Everyone could understand that. None of them had eaten, though Charli had gone on longer than them without food. Something about eating put a bad taste in her mouth the last couple of days. It made her nauseous anytime she tried. Most she could manage was water. Eva looked in the rear view mirror, seeing how pale her friend was. She was always light-skinned, but nowadays, she had a sickly pallor. With the dark circles under her eyes, she really did look like a skeleton. Looking around, the girl spotted a diner slash inn not far off. A decent meal would do Charli some good. It would do them all some good.

She pulled into a parking lot, and the trio got out. Seeing how weak and exhausted Charli was to even move, Nick got to her side and helped her out. She looked up at the sign next to the building, barely flickering with life as it flashed with the name _Crave Inn_. As they entered the restaurant, the eerie silence was filled with country music laced with radio static. There were a couple of truckers sitting at the counter, and a well-aged waitress behind the cash register, counting what was in the till. Quietly, they sat in a window booth, Charli leaning on the window, staring into space.

The waitress came over with a pen and pad. "What can I get for you kids?"

Charli spoke more loudly than necessary, as though she had abruptly woken up, "Coffee! Strong!"

The woman arched a brow, writing it down. "Okay, what else?"

They made their orders and Charli had her coffee in moments, surprising everyone, including the waitress, when she downed the hot contents, not caring if it burned her mouth. She could hardly feel anything at this point anyway. The woman stared at her weirdly as she poured the teen another.

"Good coffee?" she asked. Nobody replied. "You know, I remember a few years back, some young folks like you lot left some neighbouring town. They drank coffee like it was the only thing keeping them alive. Must be some pretty crappy Joe they had been drinking."

This piece of news woke up Charli to some extent as she spoke up, "How long ago was this?"

The woman frowned as she thought about it. "I'd say about twenty or thirty so years. I heard there was some kind of pandemic. The circumstances were pretty strange. I don't know the whole story, but people had been saying how horrible it was. Can I get you anything else?" They shook their heads. "Food will be out in the bit. Just call if you need anything."

Charli stared after her, a considering look. After they ate and paid, she came up to the waitress, asking, "How much is it for a room?"

"Depends on the room, but the starting rate is sixty bucks a night. A room with..." She looked over the two pairs. "...two beds is seventy-five." Charli pulled out some cash. Sighing, the woman grabbed a book, opening it as she pushed it towards Charli. "Sign your name and I'll give you a receipt."

The teen was about to sign her own name but stopped just as the pen touched the page. Rethinking using her name, she began to write down _Faye Dahl_. The lady looked at the name as she took the cash and rang up the receipt. Reaching behind the counter, she pulled out a key with a numbered tag. The group left with a jingle of the door to follow them. They wandered around the town, leaving the car behind for the time being. First stop, Charli had decided. Get it over with, she urged. Bars were an option. Plenty of people would surely be in one of the pubs.

The gravel shifted beneath their shoes as they strode through the bare streets. It looked like a ghost town. Spotting a bar and grill, Charli made her way towards the front door, stepping inside with the others close behind. Not many paid close attention to the newcomers, except for a few drunkards who paid special attention to the females. Like a territorial alpha wolf, Logan took notice of the leers, making sure he stuck close to the girls. Why did Charli pick such a place? Such establishments put him on edge, reminding him of the kind of pigs that drank away all inhibitions or morals, much like his old man. Such a place would be considered a danger zone for women, filled with drunk and horny men. Some of which who won't take no for an answer.

Then it hit him the more he thought about it. Charli wasn't the type to go into places like this, but in this case, she had a valid reason. She was looking for those scum the world could do without. In all fairness and honesty, he himself would feel less guilt in her position about giving such men to a monster to feed on. Still, it meant playing with cinders that could turn into a blaze of trouble. As they sat at one of the tables situated against a wall, a younger but still mature woman came up to them, chewing on some bubble gum.

"Do you four have some ID?"

"We just want some sodas," Logan put in. "I'll have a coke."

"Same here," said Nick.

"Pepsi for me, please," Eva ordered then looked at Charli, nudging her tired friend.

This was enough to get her attention as her eyes blinked open. "Any soda, except diet. I don't care. Surprise me."

The lady shrugged, walking off. The goth put a hand on Charli's shoulder. "I don't think you can go on much longer, Charli. It doesn't have to be tonight. You _need_ sleep."

The girl shook her head frantically, a little more awake. "No. It _has_ to be tonight. No ifs ands or buts. I'll sleep tonight. I'll have to anyway if I'm to..." she paused as the lady returned with the sodas, putting each bottle down then walking off before the teen resumed, "...if I'm to give him what he wants. You guys can't sleep though. We didn't bring any food with us from Springwood. Who knows how long the hypnocil will last..."

"We gotta keep an eye on you anyway," Nick remarked. "Just in case something goes wrong."

"Besides," Eva began, hesitating some, "we've talked about how you're always the one to deal with him. So, if we were to fall asleep without the drug in our systems, we might be able to help you if you bring us in."

Charli shook her head again, whispering in a harsh tone, "You don't get it! Freddy has complete control of the dreams. There's no getting away from him. He nearly killed Michael the few times they've fought. Imagine _your_ chances. He needs me, which is why he's putting up with me, but your only use to him is to blackmail me into doing what he wants, or else he'll kill you! He's already told me that he would, given the chance. Dont...fall...asleep," she told them firmly, eyes looking wild.

Before any of them could argue further over the point, a couple bottles of beer clunked onto their table as a young man squeezed behind Eva. Another stood next to him, holding his own beer. "Begging your pardon, but I couldn't help noticing that you ladies needed a drink. So, I took the liberty of ordering you a couple of beers, on me."

Charli and Eva didn't even have the chance to speak for themselves as Logan immediately went livid, standing up from the table. Regardless of whatever Charli was intending, he wasn't about to let some asshole move in on the girls like he owned them. The man's blonde brows rose, amusement in his smirk.

"Go make a move on someone who cares, asshole," he demanded.

Not looking the least bit threatened, the guy chuckled. "Sorry man, didn't see you there. All I saw was a couple of little boys hanging around a couple of little ladies looking for a good time. I think what they need is real men showing them what a good time entails."

"Little ladies?" Eva mouthed to Charli, half-laughing. Shaking her head, she turned in her seat. "Sorry, handsome," he started, with her best impression of a flirty dame, "but I don't see how either of you could give us a good time."

"How about you and I go into the back and I'll show you," he suggested.

She dropped the flirty act, simply smiling. "Well, that sounds interesting." This statement made Logan whirl his head around to stare in disbelief at her. "But I must decline. Mommy always told me not to fuck strangers." A crude retort, causing Nick to nearly snort his soda out through his nose. Charli couldn't help a small smirk.

"Aw, can't you make an exception?" he pleaded with a pathetic impression of a pouting pup. "C'mon, maybe your friend can join too." Logan watched as the guy leaned too close towards Eva, and he simply lost it, pushing him harshly as the guy's friend caught him, having dropped his beer in the process. The blonde stood up straight as the place went quiet. "What's your problem, kid? Can't handle your girlfriend being a looker? Is her ass really as tight as it looks?"

"Fuck you!" Logan bellowed, marching towards him in long strides.

"Logan!" his friends called out, but he wasn't listening by this point.

All he could see was red as he threw a punch, which the guy dodged, bringing his own fist into Logan's gut. The rebel coughed, gripping onto the man and then struggled to bring him to the floor as everyone watched. One of the bartenders and a couple of patrons came over in a hurry, pulling the grappling pair apart.

"Both of you pricks stop this shit, or take it outside before I call the sheriff!" hollered the bartender. "Now! That goes for you too, Daryl!"

Both males were breathing heavily. Logan was red in the face as he roughly shrugged off the hands that held him. He was already on his way out the door in a rage as the others scrambled past the crowd after leaving a fifteen dollars for the drinks. Charli and Nick hung back a little as Eva practically ran after him. When she caught up to him, she grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her.

"What the hell was that?!" she demanded. "You know why we're here, right?! Or did you forget?!"

He yelled back, "What the hell were you doing, flirting with him?! You know what he intended to do, right?!"

"Of course I do! Ugh! You ignoramus! I was baiting him! It's not like I was actually going to screw him! So what were you thinking?! Now we have nothing!"

Charli was about to say something but Logan was too busy arguing with Eva, "I don't fucking believe this! You think _that_ asshole was worth the risk of you getting raped?! I don't think so! Fuck that! Fuck this! This is the thanks I get for saving your ass! Well, fuck _you_, then!"

Eva grew quiet, shaking her head. Stepping back from him, his anger immediately fading into regret as he saw her blinking back tears. He didn't have anything else to say, seeing the profound hurt his words had inflicted upon her. If he said anything else, it was more likely than not that it would just make matters worse. Inhaling deeply, he just walked back to the inn, rubbing the back of his neck. The raven-haired girl took a few moments to collect herself as Charli and Nick stood next to her.

Hoarsely, she asked, "Was the encounter enough?"

The brunette nodded. "I think all I really need is a visual. We'll see when I go to sleep." She hesitated, about to ask, "Are you okay?"

But Eva cut in, "Please, don't. I'm fine. I'm used to him acting like an asshole to me. But, I guess I act like a bitch to him at times." The pair didn't say anything. "Let's just go back."

Since Logan didn't have the key, he was waiting for them by the time they caught up, and Charli reached into her pocket before opening room thirteen, arching her brow at the number. What was it about that number? Remembering what Freddy had said and how she had drawn the Thurisaz stone before, she wondered if it was a sign. Yes, she was just about to believe any crazy phenomenon, even crazier coincidences. She wouldn't worry about it now. She had other concerns.

Eva and Nick joined moments later as they brought their stuff in from the car. Charli sat on one of the beds, looking behind her at it. Even if this place wasn't a five-star hotel, the mattress and floral comforters looked all too inviting. It was still early, she realized. Who knew how long it would take before the guy fell asleep? She looked over, seeing Luke hunched over in a chair in the room. The other two sat on the other bed facing Charli.

"So...what now?" Nick asked. "You just fall asleep and pull him in?"

"I guess, but I don't know how long it'll be before he does fall asleep," she confessed, leaning over, face in her hands.

"You're exhausted," Eva said softly. "When was the last time you slept before that short nap during the ride?"

"I think it's the third day. I don't know. Between Freddy and Michael, this whole thing has been stressing me out. If I keep this up, I think I'll end up going into a coma."

"Then it's best if you do sleep. I'm sure Freddy knows you're not much good to him permanently asleep. Maybe he'll leave you alone."

"Maybe." Too tired to argue the point, let alone convince herself to stay awake a little longer, she lied down, getting herself comfortable.

"We'll be right here to wake you up if things look too hectic in there," Nick assured her.

She could only nod, eyelids falling. There was no use fighting it now. Sleep beckoned her. It proved fruitless, even if she had a sudden second wind. Sleep was far too inviting. As she sank into oblivion, the transfer from the waking world to the dream realm felt different. It was smoother. In fact, it felt like nothing at all. Like a proper dream. She opened her eyes, instinctively closing her eyes again to protect herself from being blinded by sunlight. Her eyes didn't hurt though. Sitting up, she looked down at herself, finding herself wearing a white sundress. It was unbelievably pristine. She smiled, pleased with the change of scenery.

The teen stood from her bed of vibrant green grass, looking around at what looked like her backyard. The tree was just as vivid in colour and health, and she saw Gabby, also in a white dress, swaying forwards and backwards on the tree swing. Charli smiled, moving to go behind her sister just as she was begged to give her a push. Lightly, she did, and they laughed together. She spotted something at the corner of her eye and looked over to see a young woman her age.

Charli found herself mesmerized by this girl. She looked just like her. The shape and colour of their eyes, the thickness and darkness of their hair. However this girl looked as though she was fashioned by the fifties. Was this who she thought it was? The young lady was laughing with merriment as Charli's eyes landed on a young man sitting beside her as he made jokes. Unlike the woman, she didn't recognize this boy's face. His light sandy brown hair, his pointed nose and ears, and those light green eyes. It was the eyes she recognized, and as realized who he was, the boy turned his face towards Charli and smiled wickedly.

Dark eyes widened and she turned, ready to grab Gabby and run, but Gabby was no longer there, and then the sensations returned. An overwhelming heat engulfed her as the world burned and she screamed, eyes closing tightly. And just as quickly as the pain came, it left, leaving behind only a memory, replaced by extreme cold. Shivering, she opened her eyes, finding herself in a strangely quiet boiler room. What was Freddy playing at? She shrieked as fires roared to life, boilers spewing fire at her, making her back up quickly.

_"How nice of you to drop by, Little Charlotte,"_ rasped a familiar voice from behind her.

She spun around, but he wasn't there. "What are you up to now, asshole?!" she yelled out.

The monster didn't respond. She swallowed hard, looking around frantically before spotting a set of double doors. He was playing, she realized. He wanted to play? Fine, she'd play. But to hell with him if he thought he would win easily. Taking a readying breath, she moved towards the doors, pushing past them and into the dark sad town she had arrived in. She frowned, looking at all the shops, the Crave Inn diner, the pub they had left not too long ago. Now she knew what he was up to. He wanted her to populate it.

Losing her nerve, she shook her head vehemently. "No...I can't. I can't!"

_"It's too late for you to turn back. You already brought a fly into your web."_

Brows furrowing, she looked down the gravel street, seeing a rather confused _Daryl_. The same one from the pub. She swallowed, eyes wild. He looked over, spotting her. "Hey, I know you," he said with some slurred speech. Even in dreams, one can be drunk.

_"Sing for me,"_ he whispered into her ear like a lover would.

Her body trembled as the man started towards her, a perverse smile on his face. "How 'bout some fun, little lady? Let me show ya a good time."

_"Sing for me..."_

Taking steps back, she closed her eyes, thinking of Gabby...her friends. She was protecting them. That's all she was doing. This didn't make her as bad as Freddy, did it? "_One...two, Freddy's coming for you..._"

The man showed a look of confusion while asking, "Who the hell is Freddy? He your boyfriend?"

"_T-three, four...better lock your door._"

_"Yeeesss,"_ the phantom hissed in pleasure.

"_Five, six, grab your crucifix. Seven, eight...better stay up late,_" she continued, starting to choke with an upcoming sob.

The blonde just showed more confusion as he was merely steps from her now. "C'mon now, you're actually starting to sound a little creepy, sweetheart."

She stopped walking backwards. "_Nine...ten,_" she hesitated, and on a shaky breath and silent urging from Freddy, she finished, "_never sleep again._"

Dark laughter echoed around them as everything around them blurred like smoke, and Charli watched as the suddenly terrified man looked around at the changing environment. He found himself in complete darkness afterwards when he reopened his shut eyes. He was suddenly blinded by a spotlight, though he looked up, bewildered by his situation. Then what looked like a pathway was lit up, revealing a black glass runway catwalk, and an entire room lit up littered in variously shaped cushions of silks, velvet, leather of jewel tone colours all over the floor. Gold and red drapes covered the walls, and naked women writhed all over the cushion in provocative movements, some of them bound by leather shackles, others blindfolded, all moaning desperately. The man laughed to himself as though he had just won some kind of jackpot, completely amazed. If this was a dream, fuck ever waking up. He turned towards a stage around with flashing lights as a red door rose from the floor and it opened, a figure obscured by a bright red and green lit fog.

Daryl watched as a man stepped down a set of steps out of the fog, dressed fancily in a tuxedo and black fedora, doing some kind of old fashioned showtime strut of a dance to the heavy beat that played. Above them, Charli sat in a gilded birdcage hanging from the glittering chandelier as the newcomer did a single twirl on the spot during his strut down the catwalk and towards the man she had brought into this likely hell.

The host reached out an arm in one of his fancy moves, a microphone popping into his hand like magic, then leaned towards the young man. "Welcome to the party, Daryl! Tell me...do you like what you see?" he asked, gesturing towards all the women.

"Hell yeah!" he said.

Charli watched anxiously as this normal looking Freddy grinned wickedly with perfectly white teeth, sending a chill through her. "How about it then? You're always showing the ladies a good time. Maybe it's time they showed you. What do you think?"

Before Daryl could answer, a couple of women came up beside him and pushed him backwards, causing him to fall off the runway and onto a bed of pillows. He laughed in disbelief as the ladies flocked to him, pulling his clothes off, running their hands over him as he let out a groan. Freddy stood on the edge of the runway and chuckled, then shot his gaze towards the birdcage with that familiar grin. He turned on the spot and started moving like some jazz dancer back to the stage, then stopped, and turned back towards Daryl without moving his feet, revealing his ugly burnt face once more.

_"Oh Daryl!"_ he called out just as the younger man was getting sucked off. _"Be careful what you wish for!"_

Daryl's head rose to stare at the stranger in confusion, then the terror sank in as soon as the pain did. Hands slapped over Charli's ears as an earth-shattering scream rang through the large room. He looked down to see the girls chewing off his manhood like a bunch of cannibals. One crawled on top of him, forcing her fist into his abdomen and then pulling out his intestines, eliciting another cry. Freddy turned completely, laughing as he grabbed his sides. Once he had enough, he waltzed back over, the women parting from him as he made his way to Daryl.

He stared up at the monster, choking out, "P-please...he...help...me."

_"Ohh, does it hurt bad?"_ He could barely see his head nod weakly, blood pooling from his mouth. Hell, he missed this so bad. Barely containing his excitement, he masked his features with sympathy as he crouched next to him. _"I can _only_ imagine. I'll end your pain."_

Seeing the relief in his eyes, Freddy couldn't hold back his grin any longer as he revealed his glove, the blades glinting in the light. Charli looked down, watching in terror as the monster stabbed the finger-knives into the man's chest. Daryl choked in surprise, horror, and confusion. Why did this hurt so much? God, all he wanted to do was wake up! It felt too real! He felt like he was dying! And as those thoughts registered, he felt his mind slipping away. The teen couldn't turn her gaze away as a white mist slipped from the deceased, over Freddy's arm and into his own chest. He inhaled sharply, closing his eyes from the exquisite pleasure he received. Opening those eyes again, his lips slowly curled. Yanking out the claws, he almost stumbled back onto the runway like some junkie having gained that much needed fix. Regaining himself, he walked, doing a small jig and then spinning around as looked up at his little songbird.

He grinned, chuckling darkly. _"Freddy's baaack! HA, HA-HA-HA!"_ And all Charli could do was scream at the top of her lungs. Freddy Krueger only continued to laugh and laugh.

* * *

Mist blanketed the undisturbed watery surface of a grave. What should have been his grave, but never was. A couple hiked along a dirt trail in the woods, flirting with one another. Something watched them from the shadows. Even if they looked, it was too dark for the pair to see anything out of place. The young man stopped his lover from walking, pulling her into a kiss, inciting a small moan of pleasure from her.

"Oh god, let's do it here," she murmured against his mouth.

Surprised, he looked around. "What? What if they come looking for us?"

"If they're anything like us, they'll be too busy to notice. Now kiss me, you fool," she urged with a small laugh.

The young man grinned, doing just that before pinning her to a nearby tree, running his mouth over her neck as hands grasped at a pair of fleshy mounds through the fabric of her shirt. It didn't take long for the heat to take hold, and clothes were coming off one by one until they were joined together on the brink of their lust. Their lovemaking made them ignorant of the cold that gently nipped at their nude bodies, their breaths ragged with each thrust. Something bothered the girl though as she heard the crunching of leaves, opening her eyes, then nothing.

With the sound of a _shing_, blood splattered over the ground and bushes, then two bodies fell over, headless. The heads rolled some ways away from the path, followed by the sound of more leaves being crushed. Something pulled at the bodies, dragging them away from the site and around the shores of a pristine lake.

_Ki-ki-ki...ma-ma-ma..._

* * *

**A/N:** Holy hell, I was really pushing to post this before I disappear for a couple of weeks. As a reminder, the power company is cutting us off, so I'll be without internet as well. We could pay them, but they're assholes, so no, and we're moving anyway. I won't even be able to write the next chapter until I have access to power either, so I'll be late with that week's chapter anyway. Sooo, the next time you see me, I'll try to have two chapters ready, maybe three depending how long it takes me. But this counts as this week's chapter. Enjoy it! SAVOUR IT.

Suggestion, I've just recently discovered a new song I like that had just released today, and I was listening to it while writing that Freddy kill scene. It's called Champion Sound by Ill Factor. So feel free to listen to that to get the full effect of the scene while reading. I know it probably seems like a silly scene at first, but classic Freddy has always had a tendency to 'play with his food,' plus his flare for the dramatic. It was supposed to be like a "welcome back Freddy" kind of deal. He likes to make an entrance. And in case you haven't guessed it, that last scene is a reference to our third horror champion, Jason Voorhees. And don't tell me its ch-ch-ch, ah-ah-ah. That's wrong. It's ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma...as in, y'know, "Kill her, mommy!" Anyway, see you guys in 2-3 weeks.


	13. Shadows of Doubt

**Disclaimer:**_ I do not claim ownership over the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th franchises. Each character is copyright to their respective owners._

**CHAPTER XIII – **_**Shadows of Doubt**_

* * *

An earth shattering scream broke the silence of the inn room, jarring the very bones of Charli's friends. They jumped to their feet simultaneously, but Nick was the first to reach her, his long fingers grasping the brunette's shoulders and shaking her gently at first, calling out her name. Eva and Logan we on the other side of the bed, with the girl lightly smacking Charli's cheek and Logan being more rough with the shaking. Still, she did not wake. They all realized with abject horror that Charli had gone too long without sleep, her exhaustion keeping her caged in Freddy's territory.

Desperately, Eva leaned more over the teen and smacked her friend across the face. The head merely rolled to the side from the force, eliciting a fearful hiccough from Eva. They had to do something, but it appeared that despite their attempts to wake her, with Logan pushing Nick aside to shake her again, and Nick running to and from the bathroom with the intention to dump water on her, she still would not stir from her nightmares. After a few moments of heart stopping terror, her screams finally ceased, but the trio did not release the breaths they held.

Swallowing thickly past the lump and the dryness in his throat, Nick leaned down, pressing his ear to her chest, finally letting out a breath. "She's alive..."

"Thank god," Eva breathed, her eyes glassy with the threat of tears. "Why won't she wake up?"

"That asshole is probably keeping her there," Logan put in bitterly. "We need to come up with something or she might never wake up."

"I'm going to look for a drug store," Nick said, grabbing the room key. "I'll be back as soon as possible." And like that, he was gone, the door clicking quietly closed.

Eva remained on the bed, taking her friend's hand. "Don't do this to us, Charli. Please wake up," she pleaded almost too quietly for Logan to hear. "Let her go you b-bastard!"

Putting aside his anger, Logan sat next to her. "He needs her. He's not going to do anything to jeopardize her life. Right now, I'm willing to bet that he's forcing her to work. He probably got one soul by now. He's been waiting all this time. You can imagine he got impatient."

"I know," she sniffed, wiping delicately at her watered eyes. "I just wish I knew what to do. He could torture her if he wanted to, and right now I feel like rooting for Myers, because unlike Krueger, he's...human."

Logan frowned. "He is _not_ human, but I understand what you're saying. How do you fight something that can kill you in your dreams? At least against Myers, he's flesh and blood. He can bleed. Which means he can die. But unlike us, he probably has a better chance of getting rid of Krueger." He trailed off, thinking on what Charli had said before. "Do you get the feeling Charli's hiding something from us?"

"About what?"

"About Myers. It just seems like every time we mention him now, she immediately wants to avoid the subject. It's like she knows something about him that we don't. And you're the one who archives all the articles about these monsters."

"You keep forgetting that Charli has actually met Myers before we did and she keeps unintentionally pulling him into her dreams. Plus, she knows things she can't explain."

"Still," he started.

"Still nothing. It doesn't mean she's hiding anything important. She told you about how he's being controlled, right? He's after Freddy for whatever reason. What more is there to know?"

After a few moments of silence, Nick returned, empty-handed and breathless. "There's been some murders," he said. "Those two guys from the bar and that diner waitress."

Logan stood. "Jesus! What the hell is Freddy making her do?!"

The nerd shook his head. "I don't know, but I think we should take her and leave. Now."

Eva jumped up. "No! That will make us look suspicious! We're a handful of strangers in a strange town! What will it look like to the locals if we leave now?"

"Dammit Eva," Logan began angrily. "What the hell do you expect us to do? They're going to look at us anyway! Police will be crawling all over us!"

"Panicking gets people caught," she stated calmly.

"But Logan's already had an altercation with one of the victims," Nick pointed out. "Though...we've met with all those people. Still it'll look like he had a motive."

"We're going to stay here," Eva repeated firmly. "We've been here the whole time during the murders, right?" Nick's eyes widened and she sighed. "Okay, so you went looking for a drug store, but either way, unless there's information to back up any suspicion on us, like DNA for example, footage, or witnesses to place you at whatever crime scene, the evidence is circumstantial at best. Even if they hold us, they can't keep us unless they have hard evidence. We need to relax and act like we've done nothing wrong. We're just a group of high school students going on a short trip."

Logan remained quiet for awhile before putting in, "We can always mention Myers. They might be convinced into thinking he's lurking around these parts. Remember that murder a week ago of the old couple? The night we went to the shack? The whole thing stunk of Myers."

Eva shivered. "Of course I remember. It took place on my street. But yeah, that may work." She looked up at Nick. "Why did you want to go to the drug store anyway?"

"I was hoping they carried adrenaline or something, but the pharmacy was closed. We need to think of a way to wake her up. Before he ends up killing the whole town."

* * *

Even in the dream world, the smell of blood and burnt flesh was strong, and her stomach was weak with nausea. She silently begged to be woken up. Charli could feel her friends' attempts and a dull sting on her cheek, half expecting to wake any moment, but the second she began to rouse, her exhausted mind pulled her back into the nightmare's embrace, giving her outer body a much needed rest. She shouldn't have gone so long without sleeping. What if she never woke up?

Living with the guilt would have been preferable to being forced to witness Freddy's latest kill. He had demanded more and she could only comply, bringing in Daryl's friend and the lady from the diner. She dared not get used to each display, torn between looking away, and memorizing each kill in order to learn more about her enemy. She remained trapped in her gilded cage from the ceiling of the boiler room, dressed in white that matched those terrifying little girls. Was she to become one of them, singing in the name of Freddy while summoning his victims? The girl sobbed, body trembling with guilt, the smell of blood thick in the air, making her gag.

"Let me out," she begged. "I've given you three! Let me out!"

A dark chuckle answered her on an echo, reverberating inside her skull. _"But you're doing so well, Little Charlotte. It'll take more than three souls to satisfy me."_ On the catwalk, he appeared, reaching over with his gloved hand to pull the cage closer, the chain conveyer clicking til he grasped the thin bars with both hands, pressing his face between a couple. _"Ohh, you look so sad, my little songbird."_

Despite the illness she felt, she had enough energy to glower at him with uninhibited malice. "You're despicable."

_"Why, thank you!"_ he said on a short laugh, grinning madly, baring those yellowed teeth before his expression sobered. _"But flattery will only get you so far with me, princess. Bring me another,"_ he demanded with a hiss.

Bitterly, she replied, "Keep gorging yourself and you'll probably just end up vomiting."

He smirked, chuckling with his face against the bars. _"Maybe I should gorge on you, piglet."_

"If you keep this up, Freddy, you're going to land me in jail, then what will you do? I can't do much from a cell," she pointed out tiredly, hoping he'd get the picture. "I can't do much more staying asleep either."

The smirk faltered some as he averted his eyes away in thought. He could feel her watch him anxiously, awaiting his answer. Yes, he had already thought ahead of what to do. True, she could provide him the souls of inmates and guards, but afterwards may prove tricky. She could not pull in others without knowing a person's face. At least that was the theory. The problem was that he didn't know the extent or limitations of her abilities, or how fast she was growing in power. He would need her friends and brat sister later as leverage, so he wouldn't touch them even if the opportunity presented itself. However...

_"You and Myers seem to be getting along rather...well,"_ he commented warily.

That was another thing he noticed. Despite the gruesome reputation of Michael Myers, the very girl Freddy coveted was having an unusually profound effect upon the Halloween murderer. Myers was not known for hesitation, let alone mercy. Granted, even Michael had a brain and had the know-how to think about his moves, but the monster was still on a leash as though he were some brainless twit. Perhaps Charlotte had more power than she or even himself realized. Krueger had seen Charlotte's memories with some disdain and confusion over Myers' actions. He could have taken her from the shack that night, but he didn't. Did Freddy miss something in Michael's intentions? What was more infuriating was Charlotte's lack of concern towards the masked giant as of late.

Slowly, she rose her head to meet his gaze. "What are you up to?"

He smiled. _"Don't think I don't know what goes on in that pretty little head of yours. You're almost willing to trust Myers, because what? Because he didn't hurt your brat sister?"_ He tsked, shaking his head slowly from side to side with that little perverse smile of his. _"In the end, when all is said and done, he'll kill you, just as he killed his sisters. He wants your cooperation to make it easier for him to kill me. That's all. You're becoming far too dependant on his protection from me."_

"Why would you bring this up now?"

_"As a precaution,"_ he snarled as he snapped forward again, reaching through the bars to just barely miss her with his claws. She jumped back regardless, putting as much distance between them as possible. His anger sobered to amusement, pulling out his arm. _"By now, I bet you feel the need to pull him in here, hoping he'll be successful in killing me this time around. He can't save you from me, and...I'm the only thing keeping him from killing you."_

It was clear to Charli what Freddy was implying then. Thinking on his words, he had made a few points. In the end, Michael was still a killer, and his main objective at this point was to kill Freddy. To Michael, she was just a means to an end. All in all, she was willing to help in that respect. Still, he could have killed her friends, her sister...but Michael was smart, despite being sheltered in a sanitarium for basically half his life. To him, she was just bait for Freddy. Once Freddy was dealt with though, what use was she to Michael then? She was nothing but a loose end, she and her loved ones. And loose ends were almost always dealt with...fatally.

But, Charli could sense something else in the way Freddy spoke. Slowly, she smiled in that subtle but smug fashion. "Are you threatened by _Michael_? Over _me_?" Krueger didn't appreciate the tone she used in mentioning that bastard's name. It was overly sweet. It disgusted him. "Don't tell me you're _jealous_."

Everything moved too fast in the next few seconds as the cage disappeared and she fell into the darkness. Pain wracked her body as she hit the bottom, gasping out in agony, momentarily believing that she was completely broken like some thrown away doll. The teen whimpered quietly until it dulled to an ache, then stopped entirely as though the pain was never there. Her pale fingers stretched outwards to feel at her dark surroundings. She concentrated on the texture of the ground, brows furrowing some. It was hard and cold, and as her nails scraped the surface, she cringed at the feel like someone had screeched on chalkboard, judging it to be a metal of some sort. The air was gagging, but she had initially been able to ignore it. By now she recognized the smell as blood, and her pitiful whimpers returned. Still, it was dull in comparison to what she had smelled earlier in this nightmare.

Now she understood what Freddy had meant by her being dependant. Right now, she felt as though the only thing to keep her safe would be Michael. But did she dare to bring him in, now that Freddy had since grown his strength? Freddy had already proved a challenge for the masked killer. Pulling him in may simply get him killed, putting her right back where she started. At Freddy's mercy. For the time being, she was on her own until she was capable of waking up on her own, or if her friends came up with some kind of solution. She had neglected her sleep to avoid Krueger. Now she couldn't escape him.

Testing her body for any sleeping pain, she began to move slowly, half-expecting an unbearable twinge at any second, but none thankfully came and she was on her feet. As she did so, she looked up to see the round opening she had fallen through. There was barely a glow she could make out and far too high for her to reach. Had she fallen thirty feet? Fifty? It was difficult to tell, and as she reached out in the darkness, she touched a wall that felt the same as the floor, and she followed it, hoping to find a door. It proved impossible as she merely went in circles, causing her to cry out her frustration.

"God dammit," she muttered.

As though to answer her, she heard a faint sound from above, as though something mechanical came to life and she squeaked as her prison began to move, causing her to fall over. She felt a swinging sensation, remembering that she was in a steel works of sorts, beginning to panic. There was nothing to climb, and opposite walls were too far apart for her to climb up with her back and feet. She was truly trapped. Charli looked up and could barely see the spout overhead. She covered her head, expecting excruciating pain to follow of molten steel pouring over her.

Though it was hot, it was not scalding, and the metallic smell did not belong to steel at all. She opened her eyes and screamed nonetheless as the tank quickly filled with blood. She had no time to feel sick and throw up. The blood rose over her head just as she had taken a large gulp of air to hold in her lungs. Though the teen tried to swim to the surface, the blood made her feel heavier, and something was holding her down, as though it was Freddy's will keeping her there.

Though Charli tried to keep her eyes closed, her eyelids did not listen, and now that they were open, she looked around, finding she could see fine in the blood as though it was not as thick as she thought. Not only that, but a pale light that had been filtered red shone through the liquid, and the darkness seemed so much more expansive as though she had fallen into a lake...perhaps an ocean. She manoeuvred her body to spin as she scrutinized the shadows, but let out an airy and bubbly scream as she swam backwards from a different face she had not seen. In fact, it wasn't even a face, but a mask, but very much unlike Michael's. Though it was pale and light in colouring, it contained slightly larger eye holes and other various holes over it. She recognized it as one of those old hockey masks.

Over her initial scare, the necessity for air had her turn from the floating mask and the questions over the strange and sudden appearance of it. Feeling lighter, she broke the surface, the blood sloshing about as she gasped for breath, gagging as she swallowed some by accident. Without warning, the tankard was tipped forward and she screamed, grasping the edge without success due to the blood lubricating any grip. Again she fell with a scream before landing in a pool and being pulled under and through the tank flooring easily as though she were a ghost, only to fall onto a bed completely clean and dry.

Alarmed, her breath trembling, she looked around at a normal looking bedroom. The walls and furniture were a virgin white, many surfaces were covered with girly knick knacks, the closet full of an assortment of vintage dresses. Slowly, she stood up from the bed and walked over to a collection of pictures. Charli realized with dim clarity that she recognized this room. It was Gabby's bedroom. Only it didn't contain the belongings of a little girl, but of a teenager. Dark eyes roved over the black and whites, showing the face of that young woman from before. The girl with the same face as her. Most photos showed her with companions enjoying typical social activities, like being at the beach or at a diner having milkshakes.

"Faye," she murmured, touching one photo gingerly.

It had been months since her death, but the pain of the loss was still raw to Charli. To be perfectly honest, she had not seen any photos of Faye in her younger days. To be presented with a face so similar to her own, it made her understand a little more. Many questions remained however. Freddy no doubt knew her grandmother. She had no idea just how old he really was, but judging by the images he had shown her earlier, he was roughly around the same age as Faye. Still, just how close were they?

Her inner monologue was interrupted by the drumming of claws on the bedroom door after a short creaking. Rather than turn to face him, she looked at all the objects on the dresser before her, looking for any kind of weapon. And like a chill, he was behind her, breathing hotly on her neck. He wasn't quite touching her, but she could imagine that he was barely a millimetre away from doing so. He nuzzled her hair with his long nose, growling softly as he took in her scent.

"_You even smell like her,"_ he muttered with longing.

"But I don't wear perfume," she quietly replied.

_"No,"_ he agreed, _"but I wasn't talking about the perfume."_ He sniffed her again, the teen closing her eyes in disgust. _"She was so...beautiful. Everyone loved her. She was kind to everyone...including me."_ Charli noted the tone he used. Was he...sad? _"Since I died, I had forgotten her face, among other things. The only thing I remembered was how I died and how angry I was. I'm still angry. Then you came along..."_

Genuinely curious, she asked softly, "Were you in love with her?"

He was quiet for a moment, and she barely restrained herself from jumping when he placed a gloved hand over her shoulder, her heart rate going up. _"She was special to me. She was the first and only person to have shown me kindness. I felted inclined to deem her mine, but that Noel fucker took her from me!"_ He squeezed her shoulder, the tips of his blades threatening to pierce her. _"She was mine,"_ he growled out.

Charli tried not to wince, briefly contemplating the idea of summoning Michael since Freddy was distracted with his anecdote. "But what does that have to do with me? I'm not Faye. I loved my grandmother, and I may look like her, but I will never be her. Surely you would know she and I are very different."

The girl saw his smile in the reflection of the glass shielding the photos, a chill running through her. _"Very true, but you have a lot of similarities, besides your looks, to Faye. Your powers, for instance. I know she was an empath. I was one of the few people who knew about it, but it's what made her so easy to get along with. You have that same power."_ He wouldn't say that she had already used such a gift with Myers without even realizing it. _"The same compassion for others is there, just as it was with her. You were close with her, weren't you?"_

"Yes," she whispered.

"_Then I don't need to remind you of those similarities."_ When she didn't answer, he moved on to a different subject. _"I think you've been...punished enough, for the time being. Tomorrow night, I want more souls."_ He watched her close her eyes again in the glass, attempting not to cry. _"You hate it now, but you'll get used to it. Unless you can stop the entire distribution of that dream poison, you're stuck doing this job for me."_ As if to make a point, he licked up the side of her face, inciting a whimper of fear and disgust from her, making him chuckle. _"Sleep well, princess."_

* * *

Charli woke to the light of a table side lamp. Slowly, she tilted her head to see Logan standing at the window, peering through the window, peeking past the edge of a closed curtain. Nick was slumped in a chair, eyes half closed and blinking constantly as though he was trying desperately to stay awake. Eva was beside her, holding her hand, her dark-haired head lying down, eyes closed. The second Charli tried to take her hand away though, Eva woke with a start and stared owlishly at Charli.

"Are you okay?" she asked on a whisper.

The memories of blood and murder all came flooding back before running down Charli's face. She rolled to her side, hiccoughing once, then breaking down into quiet sobs. The guys looked over just as Eva climbed onto the bed to lie with her friend, holding the girl close to her chest. The goth said nothing. Whatever had happened, Charli would talk about when she was ready. Eva had her own fears and suspicions about what happened, but again, the answers could wait.

It was a couple of hours before Charli was even willing to speak, and she had told them everything that had transpired. Eva felt some relief that Freddy hadn't subjected Charli to...worse things, as everyone in the room damn well knew he was willing to do given the chance. Afterwards, the brunette was quiet again, merely wanting to sleep off the rest of her exhaustion so she had the strength to escape Freddy the next time. Lack of sleep was a dangerous thing indeed when you wanted to avoid certain phantoms.

Before she could fall asleep again though, she said to Eva, "I think I may have had a warning."

Eva adjusted her head on the pillow as she frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Like something else is going to happen. Kind of like with Michael, but it wasn't as sudden. It just...appeared, but nothing bad came of it. In the blood, I saw a mask."

"Judging by your tone, I can guess it wasn't Myers' mask." Charli shook her head lightly. "What was it then?"

"It was a hockey mask," she put simply. "It was just...floating there." Charli spotted how Eva went slightly rigid. "What?"

"A hockey mask? You sure?" The brunette nodded. "The only thing I can relate that to is the Camp Crystal Lake Killer."

Charli frowned. "Isn't that...?"

"Jason Voorhees," Eva confirmed. "Though I don't have any pictures of the guy, a lot of witnesses described that they spotted someone in those woods wearing a hockey mask. They suspected it was Jason himself."

Great, Charli thought. More serial killers was exactly what they needed right now. "You don't think he'd come all the way here, do you?"

Eva shook her head. "No, I don't think so. He has no reason to come here, not unless we trespassed on his turf. And we're _far_ away. Crystal Lake is in New Jersey. Myers is different because you pulled him in and now he thinks of you as a target."

"Freddy's his target," Charli clarified. "At least for now. I don't even know if he's supposed to kill him. Michael doesn't seem sure either. Whoever controls him hasn't given him any specific reason to keep Freddy alive or kill him."

"Sometimes your proclivity for just knowing things scares me," Eva admitted. Her friend said nothing then looked away. Realizing what she had said, Eva quickly amended, "I didn't mean it as a necessarily bad thing. Honestly, I think it's a good thing. Still, your accuracy is just frightening in the sense that with your cognisance coupled with your empath abilities, I just don't want them to make you vulnerable."

Frowning, Charli asked, "Vulnerable to what?"

"To pity. I just want you to remember what kind of people you are dealing with. Especially Myers."

Though she already knew why, Charli asked again, "What makes you think that?"

Eva hesitated for a moment. "Logan seems to think you're hiding something about Michael. Are you?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over them. On one hand, Charli felt some guilt over withholding information, yet at the same time, part of her felt defensive at her friends' lack of trust. She had been debating over and over on whether or not to tell her friends, but with their suspicion, she felt more inclined to keep her secrets hidden. Trust did not come easily to her. Until now though, they had not given her any reason to doubt them. Her mind went in circles over this, but no doubt her tardiness to answer Eva have already confirmed her suspicions. By now, lying wouldn't have been a wise choice.

"He...he's done things that confuses my judgement. One instant, I think he's ready to kill me, in another instant, I can sense hesitation and insecurity. I've seen him more than I've mentioned. I know when he's watching us. The night Freddy tried to rape me, I brought in Michael for self-preservation, and it worked. He had this look like he understood what Krueger tried to do and he put all his focus on him. Since then I've felt...grateful to him."

"Jesus," Eva murmured. "To think a killer like Michael Myers had it in him to care."

"That isn't all. Gabby saw and spoke to him at her school."

"What?!" she hissed out.

Charli shushed her. "I was the only one she told, and if my parents knew, they would flip like they did with me. If they knew, Gabby would be really upset and scared. She's just a kid. Kids shouldn't have that kind of fear. It's not right. I want her to feel safe, but I told her never to go near him again if she saw him."

"Shouldn't she stay home though? She's only in kindergarten, right? It's not like she'd be missing any lessons. Have you thought about homeschooling?"

"I thought about it for myself at one point," she admitted. "But no, mom and dad are usually out during the day. At least at a school there's more than a couple of adults around. Michael isn't the type to attack out in the open. He's a stealth killer."

"Why didn't he hurt her?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because he needs me and my cooperation to get to Freddy. He could have killed us that night."

"He almost killed the guys," she pointed out.

"Because they were in his way," Charli realized. "He was after me that night, but...that doesn't make sense." She frowned, thinking back to that stormy night in the shack.

If he was after her, then why didn't he take her then? Subconsciously, she reached up to touch the back of her head where it had connected with those half-rotted floorboards. Large and strong fingers had soothed the pain she had felt then, as though regret filled Michael. Remembering the tattoo on his wrist, she pondered over whether Michael's actions were his own, or if they belonged to the control held over him. Judging by the way Freddy reacted to any mention of jealousy towards Michael, perhaps it was the former. Charli would have liked to think so, but Eva's warning about sympathizing the enemy stuck to the forefront of her mind. The goth had been right, of course. Charli had been setting herself up to hope that a killer could be redeemed. It would only end fatally for her.

"What doesn't make sense?" Eva asked, brows furrowing as she saw the confusion in Charli's features.

"I saw him at the shack," she muttered. "He followed us. He could have taken me then, but he didn't."

"He knows?!" she hissed again. "Charli, why didn't you say anything before?! We'd been going there throughout the week, god dammit!"

At this, Charli rolled to her other side. "I don't know. I just feel like maybe he won't do anything to us until he has Freddy. So I didn't feel threatened by him. He won't hurt us for now."

"You can't know that for certain! It's dangerous to think like that!"

"I just _know_, okay? Trust me on this." Annoyed with the conversation, she announced suddenly, "I'm going to sleep."

Eva shook her head, but kept her mouth shut. She sighed, rolling to her back to stare at the ceiling. Why would Charli hide these things? It wasn't a case of Stockholm Syndrome, was it? She wanted to believe in Charli, but Logan's suspicions had proven correct, and even now Eva was filled with dread and doubt. She wanted to be a good friend and take Charli's word for it, but how could she trust someone who didn't return the same trust? The answer was simple...she couldn't. God, it was one thing after another. First the fight with Logan and now this. Despite what they had done for Charli, she had never truly let them in, had she? It hurt Eva to know that. Was Charli really worth all the risks they were all taking? She rolled again, facing away from who she thought was her friend.

* * *

**A/N:** I have returned! I JUST finished this chapter. I will post the chapters as I finish them until I catch up on the weekly quotas I missed. I MAY have another chapter posted this weekend. No promises however. I will try though. Between moving to a new place and starting at work again, my body was broken for the first week of June. In other words, my feet hurt really really bad and I didn't want to think about anything. Though my work schedule isn't as regular as I would like it to be, what with being sent home because they don't need me and a couple of cancellations, my lack of a regular paycheque is stressing me out a little. I'll try to make the next chapter more interesting with more Freddy kills. Though it might be as dramatic as this one. Oh, if you ever run into a situation where you have no power and little money for food...try eating ravioli from a dollarama for a large two-dollar can. Tastes fine cold. Anyway, til next chapter. Please leave a review and thank you all for reading.


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